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Updated: June 18, 2025
His satire has neither the terrible vigor, the lacerating energy of genuine indignation, nor the humor which owns loving fellowship with the poor human nature it laughs at; nor yet the personal bitterness which, as in Pope’s characters of Sporus and Atticus, insures those living touches by virtue of which the individual and particular in Art becomes the universal and immortal.
That thing of silk, Sporus, that mere white curd of ass's milk! The confidential confession of RACINE to his son is remarkable: "Do not think that I am sought after by the great for my dramas; Corneille composes nobler verses than mine, but no one notices him, and he only pleases by the mouth of the actors.
He was a great master of invective and sarcasm; he could dissect a character in terse and sonorous couplets, brilliant with antithesis; but of dramatic talent he was altogether destitute. If he had written a lampoon on Dennis, such as that on Atticus or that on Sporus, the old grumbler would have been crushed.
This Sporus he carried about with him in a litter round the solemn assemblies and fairs of Greece, and afterwards at Rome through the Sigillaria , dressed in the rich attire of an empress; kissing him from time to time as they rode together.
'So those soft patrons are coming to look at our muscles, said Niger. 'Who sent to previse thee of it, my mistress? 'Lepidus. He brings with him Clodius, the surest better in Pompeii, and the young Greek, Glaucus. 'A wager on a wager, cried Tetraides; 'Clodius bets on me, for twenty sesterces! What say you, Lydon? 'He bets on me! said Lydon. 'No, on me! grunted Sporus.
One while, he begged of Sporus to begin to wail and lament; another while, he entreated that one of them would set him an example by killing himself; and then again, he condemned his own want of resolution in these words: "I yet live to my shame and disgrace: this is not becoming for Nero: it is not becoming. Thou oughtest in such circumstances to have a good heart: Come, then: courage, man!"
As there is no stronger motive to exertion than self-defence, no part has more elegance, spirit, or dignity, than the poet's vindication of his own character. The meanest passage is the satire upon Sporus.
Sporus had never been popular in the arena; and lately the interest of the combat had been excited on behalf of the wounded Niger. The people were warmed into blood the mimic fight had ceased to charm; the interest had mounted up to the desire of sacrifice and the thirst of death! The gladiator felt that his doom was sealed; he uttered no prayer no groan. The people gave the signal of death!
The first interest was attracted towards the combat of Niger with Sporus; for this species of contest, from the fatal result which usually attended it, and from the great science it required in either antagonist, was always peculiarly inviting to the spectators. They stood at a considerable distance from each other.
Alexander the Great had his celebrated eunuch, Bagoas, and Nero, his Sporus, etc. Chevers says that the manufacture of eunuchs still takes place in the cities of Delhi, Lucknow, and Rajpootana. So skilful are the traveling eunuch-makers that their mortality is a small fraction of one per cent.
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