Martial: Marcus Valerius Martialis

Citations

• http://www.marshall.edu/classical-studies/background_index.htmhttp://www.bookrags.com/biography/marcus-valerius-martialis/http://www.nndb.com/people/050/000097756/http://www.spainisculture.com/en/artistas_creadores/marco_valerio_marcial.htmlhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Martialis.jpg/220px-Martialis.jpghttp://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/law_sites/library/jpg/RBR_items/MartialEpigrams.jpghttp://www.epwr.ru/quotauthor/282/3.jpg

Martial

Marcus Valerius Martialis

"A man of talent, sharp and whitty, a stylist with as

much humour and bitterness as integrity" (Plinius, ep. III, 21)

Impact Upon Rome

• Martial's works influenced many more Roman poets to write in the style of epigrams
• Epigrams became more popular and more important to Roman literature
• His works give some of the greatest visuals of life in Rome during his time period
• He portrayed society's views on issues with irony and realism, and spoke the truth about many historical events during his time, including the opening of the Colosseum in 80

Importance to Rome

• Made epigrams a more popular form of writing in Rome

• Favored by both of Titus and Domitian

• Was made a "ius trium liberum" by the emperor (granted the same benefits financially as a father of three)

• Became part of equestrian rank, or a knight

• Had many admirers in Rome and elsewhere that bought and read his epigrams

Martial's Epigrams

Epigram XII.46

Difficilis facilis, iucundus acerbus es idem:

nec tecum possum vivere nec sine te.

You are difficult and easy. You are pleasant and harsh;

I can't live with you and I can't live without you.

http://www.thehypertexts.com/Martial%20Epigrams.htm

About Martial

• Born at Bilibilis in Spain on March 1, 38 or 41 A.D.
• Roman citizen, although was of Iberian and Celtic stock
• Highly educated by his parents, Fronto and Flaccilla
• Left Spain for Rome in 64 A.D.
• In later years, describes himself as "a fellow citizen of

the Targus, with bristling Spanish hair"

• Determined to become a verse writer in Rome
• Befriended Calpurnis Piso within his first year in Rome
• In 65, the conspiracy Piso had against Nero was

discovered, many of Martial's friends are implicated

and executed.

The End

By Hayes Walsh

Occupation

• Martial was a Roman Epigrammatist

• Epigram - short poem, with a single subject and ending with a witty and humorous thought

• Epigram means "things written on" in Greek

Martial's Epigrams cont.

Readers and listeners praise my books;

You swear they're worse than a beginner's.

Who cares? I always plan my dinners

To please the diners, not the cooks.

—Martial, translated by R. L. Barth

http://www.thehypertexts.com/Martial%20Epigrams.htm

Career as an Epigrammatist

• First works consisted of some juvenile poems
• A more well-known and extant work was a book of epigrams about shows presented at the opening of the Colosseum in 80
• His best works were released in the last years of his life
• He issued the Xenia and Apophoreta in 84 and 85, which were mottoes for gifts in general and gifts given at banquets
• In the years 86 to 98, he produced about a book a year,

with 100 epigrams (on average) per book.

• 1,500 epigrams in total