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Home > Magazines > Archaeology Odyssey > September/October 2002

Past Perfect: In the Here and Now

The first-century A.D. poet Martial wryly—and timelessly—observes life in ancient Rome

Born of Celtic stock in Bilbilis, northeastern Spain, Marcus Valerius Martialis, known more plainly as Martial (c. 40–104 A.D.), left home at age 26 to seek his fortune in Rome. There he lived in a garret—“up three flights of steps, steep at that”—cultivating wealthy patrons who would pay him a small stipend or invite him to dinner in exchange for witty conversation and poignant, satirical verses. Eventually, Martial won the patronage of the Roman emperors Titus (79–81 A.D.) and Domitian (81–96 A.D.), whom he shamelessly flattered in his writings. His growing reputation as a man of letters was based […]

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