Friends Till The End: Martial 1.93

Roman men often had deep, loving and affectionate friendships with their peers. There was no shame or stigma in expressing love and support to one another.

Fabricio iunctus fido requiescit Aquinus,

qui prior Elysias gaudet adisse domos.

Ara duplex primi testatur munera pili:

plus tamen est, titulo quod breviore legis:

"iunctus uterque sacro laudatae foedere vitae,

famaque quod raro novit: amicus erat." 

--Martial, Epigrams 1.93 

Aquinus is buried next to his faithful Fabricius,

Who happily entered Heaven before him.

A double tombstone attests that both attained primus pilus [head centurion]

But, what’s more, is the inscription:

“Both are joined in a sacred relationship of a blessed life,

And something even more blessed: they were friends.”

 

MARTIAL	MAP:
Name: Marcus Valerius Martialis Date:  40 CE – 104 CE Works:  Epigrammaton Libri XV*                De Spectaculis	REGION  2 (Hispania)
BIO:	Timeline:
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.	SILVER AGE ROME