The poet Martial uses erotic imagery in addressing his patron.
Go, blessed rose, weave yourself
Into a delicate crown
upon my Apollinaris’ hair.
Remember to crown him
Even when his hair is gray,
(that day will come, but not too soon)
And may Venus love you so forever.
I, felix rosa, mollibusque sertis
nostri cinge
comas Apollinaris.
Quas tu nectere
candidas, sed olim,
sic te semper
amet Venus, memento.
--Martial, Epig.VII.89
M
Originally
from Bilbilis, Hispania, the poet Martial moved to Rome in the 60s CE to
advance his career. His two extant works include de Spectaculis, a
collection of poems written to commemorate the opening of the Colosseum, and
a fifteen volume collection of epigrams. These epigrams provide valuable
insight into the mores and private lives of men and women from all of
the city’s social classes.
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