Martial V. 17, 4

Extract

Cistifero was the reading of A and B, but for want of a satisfactory interpretation of it, or indeed any evidence for it, cistibero (from CA) has been preferred. Hirschfeld, who first brought this forward (in Hermes, 1889, p. 106; cf. Heraeus, Rhein. Mus., 1899, p. 309), explained it as meaning one of the ‘quinqueuiri cis Tiberim,’ a low official contrasting effectively with the senator of Gellia's dreams. It seems worth while to call attention (without prejudice) to the Abstrusa gloss (C.G.L. IV. 192, 27),‘Vicorum et cistifer nomina sunt metallorum’ There seems to be no doubt that the first word should be uiocurus (cf. IV. 194, 8; V. 613, 44); and in theNotae Tironianae (XXXVI. 94–5) uiocurus and cistifer stand thus in succession at the end ofa list of officials. Heraeus thinks the author of the gloss must have confused the words with cistophorus and uictoriatus; but would he be likely to write metallorum for ‘coins’ ? For this last word in the gloss magistratuum has been proposed, a somewhat violent change even in a glossary. I suggest metatorum; cf.Abstr. 116, 17,‘Metatores: mansionum praeparatores.’ Was cistifer perhaps the title of a low-grade official who had something (but what?) to do on the staff of a quartermaster?