s a mediaeval idea.

Juvenal was born at Aquinum, a town of the Volscians. Twelve of the
_vitae_ agree in this, and they are confirmed by the poet's own words
supposed to be addressed to him by his friend Umbricius: 3, 318-21,

'Quotiens te
Roma tuo refici properantem reddet Aquino,
me quoque ad Helvinam Cererem vestramque Dianam
converte a Cumis.'

Cf. 6, 57,

'agello cedo paterno.'

This is corroborated by the inscription found at Aquinum (_C.I.L._ x.
5382), which gives us other information about the poet:

_cere_RI . SACRVM
_d . iu_NIVS . IVVENALIS
_trib_ COH_.i_.DELMATARVM
II . VIR . QVINQ . FLAMEN
DIVI . VESPASIANI
VOVIT . DEDICAV_itq_VE
SVA PEC

This inscription appears to have stood near the temple of Ceres
Helvina or Elvina, dedicated by a member of the gens Elvia, references
to which are found on inscriptions of the district.

The _vitae_ say that Juvenal was the son of a freedman.[94] Cf.
_Vitae_ i. _a_, i. _b_, ii. _c_ (Duerr): 'libertini locupletis incertum
filius an alumnus.' _Vita_ v. (Duerr), 'ordinis ut fertur
libertinorum.' This story is due to a misapprehension of some of
Juvenal's references. 1, 99-102,

'Iubet a praecone vocari
ipsos Troiugenas (nam vexant limen et ipsi
nobiscum): "da praetori, da deinde tribuno."
Sed libertinus prior est.'

_Libertinus_ here is not to be taken to mean that the entire set are
freedmen.

As to 4, 98,

'unde fit ut malim fraterculus esse gigantis,'

it gives no evidence whatever of Juvenal's position. If it meant
anything, it would rather imply that Juvenal was the son of a poor
Italian and not of a foreign slave. So for 11, 145-6. His family was
respectable, his means were fair, and he could afford to look down on
upstarts in virtue both of his birth and of his property, although it
is clear from his own works that he had in Rome the position of a
rather humble dependent, who would be exposed to insult at the tables
of the rich and powerful. Cf. 3, 318; 6, 57 (above); 12, 89, 'laribus
paternis'; 1, 24,

'patricios omnes opibus cum provocet unus,
quo tondente gravis iuveni mihi barba sonabat.'

So 10, 225.

In _vita_ iv. he is said to have attained equestrian rank.
(Tribunician rank implied equestrian). This, on the whole, is
confirmed by the inscription, and may be founded on the original
_vita_.

Juvenal had a full course of educati