Author Description

Ninety poems by Martial, the first-century a.d. epigrammatist, are presented, with commentary, in this edition. Selected on the basis of their thematic importance, these concise poems provide an unique opportunity to interpret a significantly neglected author. The book considers the sociocultural and historical matrix from which the epigrams sprang and the Roman love of personal invective which sustains and enlivens a major portion of Martial's work.