MARTIAL AND JUVENAL

By Caroline Greenberg

Marcus Valerius Martialis

Lived: 41-104 AD Birthplace: Bilbilis, Spain Secured both the favor of Domition and Titus Lived as a poor man, but seemed to know

everyone What we know is from what he wrote about

himself and special dates "sprung from the Celts and Iberians, and a countryman of the Tagus”"Hispanis ego contumax capillis" (x. 65) (his stiff Spanish hair)

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What he wrote:

“Arriving in Rome around A.D. 64, Martial spent much of the next four decades composing short topical verse about life in the big city, an urban panorama as broad, as varied and as full of depraved humanity as any to have survived from classical times. In conventional but nimble Latin meters, he wrote gory epigrams about the Colosseum, sycophantic ones to flatter the ruler of the day, tender ones about such topics as a slave girl early death and, above all, comic ones aimed squarely at Roman society foibles. Preoccupations including comb-overs, stingy hosts, medical quacks, the poetry racket, the futility of cosmetics, consumptive heiresses and one-eyed women lend his books the ambience of a front-row seat at the Roman carnival.”

Timeline and Life Works

The first nine books and the first edition of book X and XI appeared in the reign of at the end of 96 A.D, (after the accession of Nerva.)

A revised edition of book x., appeared in 98 A.D., (entrance of Trajan into Rome.)

The last book was written after three years' absence in Spain, shortly before his death, which happened about the year 102 or 103 A.D.

These twelve books bring Martial's ordinary mode of life between the age of five-and-forty and sixty very fully before us.

Famous Lines

To have nothing is not poverty.

Whoever makes great presents, expects great presents in return.

Glory paid to our ashes comes too late.

Non est paupertas, Nestor, habere nihil. (XI, 32, 8)

Quisquis magna dedit, voluit sibi magna remitti. (V, 59, 3)

Cineri gloria sera est. (I, 26, 8)

Witty Lines •Patriotism: “Where are many different voice and languages; but there is but one voice of the peoples when you are declared to be the true "Father of your country.” Vox diversa sonat: populorum est vox tamen una, Cum verus Patriae diceris esse Pater. (III, 11)•Simile: The bee is enclosed, and shines preserved, in a tear of the sisters of Phaeton, so that it seems enshrined in its own nectar. It has obtained a worthy reward for its great toils; we may suppose that the bee itself would have desired such a death. (IV, ep. 32)•Plagiarism: My books need no one to accuse or judge you: the page which is yours stands up against you and says, "You are a thief.” I, ep. 53)

Sexual Poems

1.23 “Cotta, you do not make an invitation to anyone except those with whom you have bathed, and only the baths provide you with guests. I was wondering why you never invited me, Cotta: now I realize that you did not like me naked.”

1.57Flaccus, you ask what kind of girl I would want and what kind I would not want? I don't want one who is too easy or one who is too hard-to-get. Let's try that which is medium and between both: I want neither that which tortures nor that which satiates.

Decimus Junius Juvenalisborn 55-60? ce, in Aquinum, Italy:

Died in or after 127 ceWas Born into a rich familyWas banished by Domitian after

writing a satire about unfair promotions

In 96, after Domitian was assinated, returned to Rome

The Satires

Juvenal’s 16 satiric poems deal mainly with life in Rome under the much-dreaded emperor Domitian (Book 1: Satires 1-5 between 100 and 110)

and his more humane successors Nerva (96-98) Book 2: Satire 6, year 115) Trajan (98-117), Hadrian (117-138) Book 3: Satire 7,8,9

Book Four has no datable allusions:Satires 10-12.

Book Five: Satires 13, 14, 15, and 16, has two clear references to the year 127.

Themes

the corruption of society in the city of Rome

the follies and brutalities of mankind.

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Famous Lines

What is more cruel than a tyrant's ear?

Many commit the same crimes with a very different result. One bears a cross for his crime

Generally, common sense is rare in the (higher) rank.

Quid violentius aure tyranni? IV, 86

Multi committunt eadem diverso crimina fato; Ille crucem scleris pretium tulit, hic diadema. (XIII, 103)

Rarus enim ferme sensus communis in illa Fortuna. (VIII, 73)

Influence

Was forgotten after death for a timeWas mentioned again by Christian

propagandist Tertullian (200 ce)Since then never ceased to be

studiedThe term “Juvenalian satire” still

denotes any criticism of contemporary persons and institutions in a Juvenal manner

I will it, I order it, let my will stand for a reason.

Hoc volo, sic jubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas. (VI, 223)

Works cited

http://www.nndb.com/people/050/000097756/ http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=2066 http://www.well.com/~aquarius http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Marcus+Valerius+Martial/1/index.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/308974/Juvenal/3808/The-Satires http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Juvenal+(Decimus+Junius+Juvenal)/1/index.html http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/juvenal/a/Juvenal.htm http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/juvenal.html