The Epigrams Of Martial
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the bustling streets and banquet halls of first-century Rome comes one of antiquity's sharpest and most enduring literary voices — Marcus Valerius Martialis, the undisputed master of the epigram. The Epigrams of Martial, selected and translated by the poet James Michie, presents a curated collection of Martial's celebrated short verse, capturing the full spectrum of Roman life: its vanities, vices, friendships, hypocrisies, and occasional moments of genuine tenderness. With razor-sharp wit and unflinching candour, Martial skewers social climbers, flatterers, bad poets, and pompous patrons with equal relish, crafting miniature portraits of humanity that are as recognisable today as they were in Domitian's Rome. Michie's translation is a triumph of fidelity and elegance, preserving the epigrammatic sting of the originals while rendering them in crisp, rhythmically alive English verse that sings off the page. As both a poet and a classical scholar, Michie brings an insider's sensibility to the task, honouring Martial's economy of language — the art of delivering a devastating final line — without sacrificing accessibility for a modern reader. This edition stands as a landmark in the tradition of classical translation, illuminating why Martial's influence stretches from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde. For anyone who believes that satire is the highest form of truth-telling, this collection poses a quietly unsettling question: has human nature really changed at all?
Author: James Michie
Format: Hardback
Genre: Poetry
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the bustling streets and banquet halls of first-century Rome comes one of antiquity's sharpest and most enduring literary voices — Marcus Valerius Martialis, the undisputed master of the epigram. The Epigrams of Martial, selected and translated by the poet James Michie, presents a curated collection of Martial's celebrated short verse, capturing the full spectrum of Roman life: its vanities, vices, friendships, hypocrisies, and occasional moments of genuine tenderness. With razor-sharp wit and unflinching candour, Martial skewers social climbers, flatterers, bad poets, and pompous patrons with equal relish, crafting miniature portraits of humanity that are as recognisable today as they were in Domitian's Rome. Michie's translation is a triumph of fidelity and elegance, preserving the epigrammatic sting of the originals while rendering them in crisp, rhythmically alive English verse that sings off the page. As both a poet and a classical scholar, Michie brings an insider's sensibility to the task, honouring Martial's economy of language — the art of delivering a devastating final line — without sacrificing accessibility for a modern reader. This edition stands as a landmark in the tradition of classical translation, illuminating why Martial's influence stretches from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde. For anyone who believes that satire is the highest form of truth-telling, this collection poses a quietly unsettling question: has human nature really changed at all?