Martial: (Ancients in Action)

Martial (Marcus Valerius Martialis) was a Spanish writer who lived in Rome in the second half of the first century AD. He wrote only in the genre of epigram, invented by the Greeks, which he chose because of his dislike of all that was pretentious and escapist in contemporary literature, where stale mythological topics were regarded as both 'elevated' and, in times of political danger, safe. His own boundless interest in the life he saw around him in Rome, and his sense of humour, led him to prefer to express himself in short and highly polished poems. He brought the genre to such a pitch of perfection that his work has defined it for subsequent authors. Although only a limited number of his own epigrams conform to the dictionary definition as 'a short poem ending in a witty turn of thought', their effectiveness has shaped this definition. This book tells what we know about the man's commonsense attitude to life, and his hatred of hypocrisy and malice. It assesses his debt to literary tradition and the astonishing influence he had on later writers. This book is part of the Ancient in Action series which features short incisive books introducing major figures of the ancient world to the modern general reader, including the essentials of each subject's life, works, and significance for later western civilisation.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1. The Life of Martial 2. What is an Epigram? 3. Martial and the Epigram 4. Martial and Domitian 5. Martial and Roman Social Life 6. Martial and Patronage 7. Martial and Posterity Further Reading Index

About the Author :
Peter Howell was Senior Lecturer in the Department of Classics, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. He is the author of A Commentary on Book I of the Epigrams of Martial (1980) and Martial: The Epigrams, Book V (1995).

Review :
Sound in scholarship yet witty, rich in examples drawn from ancient and modern sources yet always focused on the explication and appreciation of the poet's texts, H's is a worthy introducation to the multi-faceted poetrey of Martial. It is a handbook that may inspire the casual reader to delve into the text with confidence, shows the student what kinds of issues should be brought to bear on the reading of Martial's epigrams (as well as what attitudes and approaches might yield the most satisfying hermeneutic results), and finally suggests to post-graduate essayists what essential bibliography they should make the object of a carefull tolle, lege before attempting to write on this poet. -- Ilaria Marchesi Journal of Roman Studies