Social Commentaries
Book XI, Epigram 2 (Ker)
Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)
Forbidding frowns, and rigid Cato's brow austere, and the daughter of Fabricius the ploughman, and masked Conceit, and Propriety, and all things which in our private lives we are not, get ye gone! See, my verses cry "Ho for the Saturnalia!" 'tis allowed, and under you, Nerva, our Governor, 'tis our joy as well. Ye strait-laced readers, learn by heart rugged Santra: I have nothing to do with you: this book is mine!
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Martial. “Book XI, Epigram 2 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/1261/.
Chicago
Martial. “Book XI, Epigram 2 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/1261/.
Read this poem with the Codex →