Social Commentaries
Book VIII, Epigram 46 (Ker)
Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)
Even as thy modesty is thy childish grace of form, boy Cestus, than boy Hippolytus more chaste. Thee would Diana-' wish, and teach, to swim with her, thee, not unmanned, would Cybele prefer to the Phrygian; thou mightest have succeeded to the bed of Ganymede/ but in thy hardness kisses only wouldst thou have given thy lord. Happy the bride that shall provoke her youthful spouse, the maid that first shall make of thee a raun!
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Martial. “Book VIII, Epigram 46 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/1031/.
Chicago
Martial. “Book VIII, Epigram 46 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/1031/.
Read this poem with the Codex →