Satire is practically the only Roman genre not borrowed from the Greeks. The word satire means a mixture, reflected in the different lengths of the works, the difference in content, and other aspects. The variety of content corresponded to the richness of forms: satires could be in the form of dialogue, messages, instructions, travel sketches, etc. Poems written with different sizes contained a mixture of a wide variety of topics-from philosophical allegory, comic portraits, and fables to descriptions of feasts. Satire is one of the most exciting genres of ancient Greek literature, and many famous classics of the past were interested in working on satirical works.
One of the most interesting Roman satirists for me is Juvenal. He is one of the last classics of Roman satire and has gone down in history thanks to his way of thinking. I was most impressed that he was a denouncer of political despotism and drew attention to the decomposition of society on a moral basis. Juvenal (1918, 2-3) wrote: “a sickly libertine, strong only in his lusts, which scorn none save the unwedded.” He shows with great skill the life of small working people, forced to live half-starved in a noisy capital at a time when the rich know no limit in satisfying their perverted tastes and whims. The main idea of these satires is a passionate protest against the power of money.
In conclusion, satire is one of the genres that originated in ancient Rome. This literary genre became popular, and many classics sought to write in this form. Juvenal was the last classic who worked in the genre of satire and was quite successful among people precisely for or speaking out sharply against political power and wealthy gentlemen. Without Juvenal, it would be challenging to imagine satire as it is now.
Work Cited
Juvenal. Satire 4. 1918.