Social Commentaries
Book I, Epigram 68 (Ker)
Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)
Whatever Rufus is doing, Naevia is to Rufus his all in all. If glad, if tearful, if mute, of her he speaks. He dines, drinks healths, asks, denies, or nods: Naevia is everything; be there no Naevia, he will be dumb. When yesterday he was writing a greeting to his father, "Naevia, light of my eyes," he wrote, "Naevia, my sunbeam, I salute thee." Naevia reads these lines with face down-dropt, and laughs. There is more than one Naevia; why, you silly husband, do you rage?
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Martial. “Book I, Epigram 68 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/404/.
Chicago
Martial. “Book I, Epigram 68 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/404/.
Read this poem with the Codex →