Martial | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Likeness of Martial, supposedly engraved from an ancient gem | |
| Born | March, between 38 and 41 AD Augusta Bilbilis, Hispania Tarraconensis, Roman Empire (in modern Aragon, Spain) |
| Died | Between 102 and 104 AD (age about 64) Augusta Bilbilis, Hispania Tarraconensis, Roman Empire |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Roman |
| Genre | Satire |
| Notable works | Epigrams |
Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial /ˈmɑːrʃəl/; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet born in Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. In these poems he satirises city life and the scandalous activities of his acquaintances, and romanticises his provincial upbringing. He wrote a total of 1,561 epigrams, of which 1,235 are in elegiac couplets.
Martial has been called the greatest Latin epigrammatist,[1][2] and is considered the creator of the modern epigram.
- ^ Czigány, Lóránt. "Janus Pannonius". Library of Hungarian Studies. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ^ Johnston, Patricia A. "Epigrams and Satire in Latin Poetry". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 19 January 2017.