Social Commentaries
Book IV, Epigram 67 (Ker)
Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)
The poor Gaurus — known to him by a friendship of many years — besought the Praetor for a hundred thousand sesterces, and said his own three hundred thousand were short only by this sum, to enable him, as a qualified knight, to applaud our Master. The Praetor said: "You know I am about to make a gift to Scorpus and Thallus, and would that I were giving only a hundred thousand!" Ah, shame on your ungrateful money-chest, shame on its ignoble riches! That which you will not give to the knight will you give, Praetor, to the horse?
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Martial. “Book IV, Epigram 67 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/697/.
Chicago
Martial. “Book IV, Epigram 67 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/697/.
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