A study of Satire 10 on its own would provide an incomplete picture because it is closely related to and has a distinct bearing on the two other poems in J.'s fourth book. Satires 11 and 12 are, of course, distinct pieces in their own right and exhibit many substantial differences from 10 that make for a lively variety. But there are numerous verbal and thematic links that draw the three poems together, and J. also makes X an apt introduction to XI and XII in terms of tone and thrust, and in the latter two Satires he reinforces and takes further important points made in the first of the trio.

The poet ensures that the fourth book has structural neatness and forms a coherent whole. The three poems make up a tricolon diminuendo, as XI is 208 lines long and XII has 130 verses. As will become clear below, 12 is harder and more extreme than 11, so that with 10 it provides a harsh frame around the milder 11. There is also ring composition, as 12 ends with a flurry of clear allusions to 10: at 128ff. J. closes the whole book with a prayer, one which incorporates various themes from X (see the final paragraph of this chapter), and in particular the wish for a long life and wealth recalls the entreaties for same in 10; Nestor in line 128 looks to 10.246ff.; Nero in 129 takes up 10.15 and 308f.; and there are linguistic echoes in possideat (‘possess’, line 129; cf. 10.225), rapuit Nero (‘Nero stole’, 129; cf. 10.308, where the same phrase means ‘Nero raped’), aurum (‘gold’, 129; cf. 10.27) and amet (‘love’, 130; cf. 10.68, 220, 241, 320). There are binding verbal reminiscences elsewhere too. Most significantly, in all three pieces we find deus (‘god’, 10.8, 55, 129, 184, 349; 11.107, 113, 12.2, 114), argentum (‘silver’, 10.19; 11.109; 12.43, 49) and belua (‘beast’) of the elephant (10.158; 11.124; 12.104); 11 picks up cenis (‘dinners’, 10.362; 11.1, 12, 78, 120), arca (‘strongbox’, 10.25; 11.26) and coniugium petimus (‘we pray for marriage’, 10.352; 11.29); and 12 recalls amicus (‘friend’, 1.46, 234; 12.16, 96) and captator (‘will-hunter’, 10.202; 12.114). There are many common themes as well, and these connections are often interesting and enlivening.