Social Commentaries

Book VII, Epigram 34 (Ker)

by Martial c. 40–c. 104

Translated by Walter C. A. Ker (1919–20) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1919–20)

Social Commentaries

How does it possibly come, Severus, that Charinus, the worst rascal in the world, did one thing well? Do you ask? I will tell you, and briefly. What was worse than Nero? What is better than Nero's warm baths? See, at once some one of the malicious crowd is ready to say in sour tones: "What do you set above the many structures erected by our Master and God?" I set Nero's warm baths above the baths of — a pathic.

This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.

MLA

Martial. “Book VII, Epigram 34 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/924/.

Chicago

Martial. “Book VII, Epigram 34 (Ker).” Translated by Walter C. A. Ker. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/martial/924/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Martial