MARTIAL

From Agepedia

MARTIAL, Marcus Valerius, the most celebrated of the epigrammatical writers among the Romans, was born at Bilbilis, in Celtiberia, A. D. 43, and educated at Calaguris (Caldhorra), the birthplace of his friend Quinctilian. He went to Rome when young, during the reign of Nero, and lived wider the reign of Galba and the following emperors; from some of whom he received marks of esteem arid favor. Do mitian appointed him tribune, and mai& his circumstances more easy by presents. Trajan, who was no friend to satirists, withheld the favor which Martial had received from his predecessors. This induced the poet to retire to his native city. Pliny the Younger gave him a sum of money to pay the expenses of the journey. While in Italy, he married a Spanish lady, who brought him a considerable estate. He died in the year 101. His celebrity is founded on 14 books of epigrams, of which he himself modestly says, " Sunt bona, sunt quadam medio cria, sunt mala plum." The number and value of his epigrams give a high idea of the wit of the poet. Most of them are ingenious and cutting; many are full of grace and attic salt; and many, in which he chastises the vices of his age, are extremely indecent and immodest. He is the true father of modern epigram, which is distinguished from the simple Greek epigram, by the convergence of all its parts to one witty point. The best editions of his works are that of Paris, 1617, folio; of Scriverius (Leyden, 1618 and 1619, 3 vols. 12 mo.); of Schrevelius (Leyden, 1656); and Rader (Mentz, 1627, folio); an expurgated German translation has also been published by Willmann (Cologne, 1825.)