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Marziale. Epigrammi d'amore
- GenresPoetry
127 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 103
15 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Valerius Martialis
599 books65 followersBorn: March 1, 40 AD, in Augusta Bilbilis (now Calatayud, Spain); Died: ca. 102 AD--Marcus Valerius Martialis, known in English as Martial, was a Latin poet from Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. In these short, witty poems he cheerfully satirises city life and the scandalous activities of his acquaintances, and romanticises his provincial upbringing. Considered the creator of the modern epigram, Martial wrote a total of 1,561 - 1,235 of which are in elegiac couplets.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 6, 2018
We were having lunch at L'ivresse, one of our favourite cafés here in Geneva. Not, whose nose for interesting books is extraordinarily sensitive, went over to the used book shelf and immediately located this one, which cost us all of 4 Swiss francs. I started looking at it with our friend Y, and we could hardly believe our eyes.
Well, all I can say is, if you think dirty language is even a vaguely modern invention then think again. These epigrams - basically, short poems - were written about two thousand years ago, and the greater part look as though they'd be more at home on a toilet wall. They are startlingly filthy. I guess they are elegantly expressed (my Latin isn't really good enough to tell), but quite often you see things on toilet walls that are more elegant than you'd expect.
The poems are presented in bilingual form, with Latin on one side and French on the other. The French tends to be a bit obscure, and Not wanted to know what all the scandalised giggling was about; when we got home, I translated one, le voilà:
Well, all I can say is, if you think dirty language is even a vaguely modern invention then think again. These epigrams - basically, short poems - were written about two thousand years ago, and the greater part look as though they'd be more at home on a toilet wall. They are startlingly filthy. I guess they are elegantly expressed (my Latin isn't really good enough to tell), but quite often you see things on toilet walls that are more elegant than you'd expect.
The poems are presented in bilingual form, with Latin on one side and French on the other. The French tends to be a bit obscure, and Not wanted to know what all the scandalised giggling was about; when we got home, I translated one, le voilà:
Quid me, Thai senem subinde dicis?That is in no way unusually crude, in fact the reverse. I just picked it because it was easier than average to translate. Not pronounced herself disappointed; she'd expected something sexy and fun. Sorry. Don't blame me, blame Martial.
Nemo est, Thai senex ad irremandum
Pourquoi, Thaïs, me traites-tu toujours de vieux?
Personne, Thaïs, n'est trop vieux pour se faire sucer.
Thaïs, so I'm too old to fuck?
No one's so old that you won't suck.
July 8, 2019
http://www.leslecturesdophechups.fr/2...
En conclusion, il s'agit d'un très bel ouvrage, qui s'avère une excellente introduction à l'œuvre de Martial, et qui ne peut que donner envie d'aller plus loin dans nos recherches. Quelques petits points noirs m'empêchent cependant de mettre 5 étoiles, mais rien de grave : l'ensemble reste excellent.
En conclusion, il s'agit d'un très bel ouvrage, qui s'avère une excellente introduction à l'œuvre de Martial, et qui ne peut que donner envie d'aller plus loin dans nos recherches. Quelques petits points noirs m'empêchent cependant de mettre 5 étoiles, mais rien de grave : l'ensemble reste excellent.
September 22, 2013
Beh diciamolo, nell'epoca pre-YouPorn aveva un suo effetto :D
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews