Social Commentaries
Book I, Epigram 87 (Ker)
Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)
That you may not smell strong of yesterday's wine, Fescennia, you devour immoderately Cosmus's pastilles. That snack discolours your teeth, but is no preventive when an eructation returns from your abysmal depths. What if the stench is stronger when mixed with drugs, and redoubled the reek of your breath carries farther? So away with tricks too well known, and detected dodges, and be just simply drunk!
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Martial. “Book I, Epigram 87 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/423/.
Chicago
Martial. “Book I, Epigram 87 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/423/.
Read this poem with the Codex →