Epigrams (Modern Library Classics) [Paperback]

Martial (Author), James Michie (Translator), Shadi Bartsch (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0375760423 | ISBN-13: 978-0375760426 | Publication Date: August 13, 2002

Martial, the father of the epigram, was one of the brilliant provincial poets who made their literary mark on first-century Rome. His Epigrams can be affectionate or cruel, elegiac or playful; they target every element of Roman society, from slaves to schoolmasters to, above all, the aristocratic elite. With wit and wisdom, Martial evokes not “the grandeur that was Rome,” but rather the timeless themes of urban life and society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Martial, . . . concentrating on the epigram as his one form of literary expression, brought it to a pitch of technical perfection never afterwards rivaled.” —Peter Howell

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)
Original Language: Latin

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (August 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375760423
• ISBN-13: 978-0375760426
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,292,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to Read epigrams from 90AD, December 25, 2004

By 

a reader "eclectic" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epigrams (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

This book is a pleasant and often amusing read, a nice mix of day to day observations, occasional spice, certainly cheap at twice the price.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Hilarious and Audacious", September 20, 2002

By 

Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Epigrams (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

Martial, like many of the Latin poets, was born in Bibilis, Spain, probably around 38-41 AD. He appears to have lived in Rome for nearly thirty-four years, under the patronage of the great Spaniard Senaca the Younger. He belonged to a class of intellectuals who were in resolute opposition to the emperor Domitian, so many times figures like Cicero, Brutus, and Pompey are used as literary devices against the crazed tyrant. Martial's poems are definitely modeled off of Catullus' epigrams and elegiac verses, although they are different in meaning and theme. These poems are hilarious and audacious, cruel, lewd, charming, spiteful, and creative; and they bring to life the social and political milieu of Rome. Martial's poems make for great bedtime reading and they are at their best when read in small doses. Michie's Anglo-cized translation, with a parallel Latin text, is good, however the rhyming couplet certainly does Martial's epigrams a grave injustice. The poems are excellent, although another translation is recommended; but another one will be hard to find which remains faithful to the original. The Loeb editions are always great, but the translators nearly always kill the original poetic song with dry early-twentieth-century prose.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Martial is excellent, translation is sloppy, May 28, 2007

By 

J. Cellucci "Epigram Enthusiast" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Epigrams (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

Firstly, let me say that I am not an expert in Latin, though I am certaintly able to read it, understand it, and also know a little about its literary techniques. One of the most grating errors I have found in this translation is the continual rhyming of its lines. Latin, being a language of often mutable word ending but even more amorphous word order, had no need to rhyme its verse, and therefore any translation, in English, that insists on rhyming for any purpose usually obfuscates the original meaning so much that it is, in of itself, a whole different poem.
I have also seen the ommission of many names in the work, which I find unappealing. While I do enjoy that it is able to combine the original latin with the english translation, I would recommend searching for a similar book with a better translator: it will make the epigrams far more enjoyable.