The Satires of Juvenal

Analytical Essay # 112276

English > Analysis
History > Greek and Roman
History > Leaders

Looks at the life and works of Juvenal, the most influential and often imitated Roman satirist.

2,655 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

A biographical account of Roman satirist, Juvenal. The paper relates that he was the most famous Roman satirist and that he wrote of sex, avarice, criminals and idiots that he encountered in everyday life. The paper further relates that Juvenal's style was accessible to everyone with an easy flowing language and frequent use of graphic images and vulgarity in his poems. The paper also points out that considering that Juvenal is an important Roman author very little is known about him. However, scholars have determined that he lived during the later part of Domitian's reign as emperor. In addition, the paper explains that Juvenal wrote sixteen satires in five books in thirty years, all with the main theme of the corruption of Rome. The paper then reviews several of these satires. Sources are listed in end notes instead of a bibliography.

From the Paper:

"The system of patronage in Rome was important to Juvenal and he spends a good deal of time discussing the decline of this very important aspect of Roman intellectual life. He criticizes both stingy patrons and selfish clients for the current situations in which they find themselves. Other topics include advice against marriage, homosexuality, reliance on personal achievements and not the achievements of ancestors, and the corrosive power of wealth."

Sample of Sources Used:

Luce, T. James. Ancient writers: Greece and Rome. Edited by T. James Luce. Vol. I. 2 vols. New York: Scribner, 1982.
Juvenal. Juvenal and Persius. Edited by Susanna Morton Braud. Translated by Susanna Morton Braund. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2004.