Living
Book IX, 642: On a Latrine in the Suburbs of Smyrna
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. III, 1917)
A. the extravagance of mortals and their expensive dishes excreted here have lost their previous charm. The pheasants and fishes, and the mixtures pounded in the mortar, and all that variety of kickshaws, become here dung. The belly rids itself of all that the ravenous gullet took in, and at length a man sees that in the pride of his foolish heart he spent so much gold on nothing but dust.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Scholasticus, Agathias. “Book IX, 642: On a Latrine in the Suburbs of Smyrna.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/agathias/66/.
Chicago
Scholasticus, Agathias. “Book IX, 642: On a Latrine in the Suburbs of Smyrna.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/agathias/66/.
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