Poverty, greed and parenthetic irony: Juv. 8, 111-112

As transmitted, Juv. 8, 111b-112a is tautological and yields no satisfactory sense. As a first step, it should be regard- ed as an ironical parenthesis, peculiar of Juvenal's style. Then, by emending at 111b haec etenim sunt to haec rapientur, the rep- etition is removed and it becomes clear that, in this ironical parenthesis, Juvenal is commenting upon the reckless plunder- ing of provinces by dishonest governors in his own day, and at the same time he shows a mock empathy towards the plundered provincials.