Martial

Marcus Valerius Martialis, short- Martial ( * March 1, 40 AD in Bilbilis; † between 102 AD and 104 AD ) was a Roman poet who is best known for his epigrams.

Life

Most of the information about Martial must be derived from his works. Since the author does not always coincide with the persons appearing in the poem, but the lyrical I in quite different characters expresses, these data should be treated with caution. The only source for the biography outside of his work is drafted by the younger Pliny obituary ( Ep.3, 21).

Martial was born about 40 AD in Bilbilis ( on the Cerro de Bambola near the present-day Calatayud, Northern Spain). He attended a rhetorician and Grammatikerschule, where he discovered his literary talent. Between 63 and 64 AD, he went to Rome and lived there first in rather poor circumstances. Early 80s AD uses the comprehensible by us literary production, to the year ranges around 102 AD. He himself points out in a poem to his youth poetry, on whose existence we obtained no evidence outside the Epigrammcorpus.

How many poets of his time was Martial dependent on his friends and patrons who supported him financially especially. In his poems he flirts gladly with his indigent status in society, creating the image of the " beggar- poet ", which is not without consequences in the literature. The name is probably an ironic exaggeration, because even 84 AD he owned a farm in Nomentum, later in Rome, and he says that it possessed slaves and secretaries.

Martial also managed under the emperors Titus ( 79-81 ) and Domitian ( 81-96 ) to work through Lobgedichte a certain prestige, which helped him to a relatively prosperous life. He was appointed military tribune and Eques and had three child law. Despite this right Martial's family relationships remain unknown.

Under the emperors Nerva ( 96-98 ) and Trajan ( 98-117 ) changed the political situation in Rome. Both refused panegyric and exaggerated praises from. Probably for this reason, Martial decided about 98-100 AD, to return to his homeland. Once again, he was assisted by his patrons, so he could continue working on his works. However, it seems as if his initial joy over the return very soon turned into longing for Rome. At least he writes in the Praefatio of the twelfth book, that he lacked the inspiration of the audience in Rome. Around the year 104 AD, died in his birthplace of Martial Bilbilis.

Patrons and friends

Martial's important to patrons and friends included Seneca, Pliny the Younger, Quintilian, Juvenal, and the Emperor Titus and Domitian. Above all, through financial support, but also by the reputation that earned him these contacts, managed Martial, to be one of the most important Roman poet.

However, his partially exaggerated flattery brought after the death of Domitian some problems. Emperor Nerva, who was involved in the assassination of his predecessor, asked Martial, rewrite his Lobgedichte to Domitian or destroyed. This command made ​​Martial reluctantly (and only partial) sequence.

Even his progress from Rome was funded by patrons. Thus Pliny the Younger paid his journey home, while he turned the estate available to his patroness Marcella.

Works

Martial's works are limited almost exclusively to epigrams. Inspiration for his poetry were Catullus and Horace.

Liber spectaculorum (80 AD)

A collection of poems, which were probably published under the Emperor Titus the opening of the newly finished Colosseum, and may have begun his career as a creator of Epigrammbüchern with Martial.

(M. Valerii Martialis Liber De spectaculis I)

The book is not delivered in a medieval Florilegienhandschrift complete and not in the original order of the poems. In 30 surviving epigrams, the author praises the Emperor and the building, extensively also - often for the modern recipient frightening indifference or even Schadenfreude - described the " sights " in the Arena ( punishments for crimes, fights between gladiators ).

Reminders and Apophoreta (84 AD)

These are short poems that were intended as endorsements for gifts on the occasion of the Saturnalia of hosts or guests.

Epigrammaton libri duodecim (ca. 85-103 AD)

A collection of 12 books (hence the name duodecim dt: twelve) (often the above-mentioned works are also to be counted, for which reason also spoken by 14 or 15 books ), with a total of 1557 epigrams.

Martial described in most of his epigrams the everyday life of the Romans and put it ironic, satirical and sometimes vulgar dar. Important topics include the difference between poverty and wealth, righteousness and vices as well as the light and dark sides of life. He characterized and also mocked in a few words and pithy puns striking Roman types, such as incompetent doctors, untalented poet, deceived husbands and vain pretty boys, although he did no one respond personally, but use meaningful names.

( Liber Epigrammatae XI, 104)

Although found in Martial's epigrams very many names, but it is likely that many of the persons addressed invented or the names were changed, but where he maintained the number of syllables, as treated at least the powerful of his time Martial with great caution. Often you can find but praises to the Emperor Titus and Domitian.

Importance

Martial made ​​the epigrammatic poetry in Rome socially acceptable and is at the same time as the master of lyrical form. His works provide a good insight into the everyday life of Rome in the 1st century AD

In particular, the epigrams on social discrepancies found still alive Martial's great response, but they were also very popular in Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) took for his own epigrams of Martial 's works as a model. Even more significant is the reception history of Martial in the Romance literatures.

The concept of plagiarism is to go back to an epigram of Martial, in which he, as Plagiarius (literally: People robber, slave traders ) a fellow poet, who had falsely described his poems as his own cursed ( epigrams 1, 52).

Expenditure

There are numerous editions and translations, eg:

• Paul Barié & Winfried Schindler ( Translator's & ed.): M. Valerius Martialis. Epigrams. Latin - German. Artemis & Winkler, Dusseldorf 1999; again ibid. 2010 ISBN 978-3-538035409 identical to Oldenbourg Academy, Munich 2010 ISBN 978-3-050054339.
• Harry C. cord ( translator's ): Martial, Epigrams. Philipp Reclam jun, Stuttgart 1966.; most recently in 2010, ISBN 978-3-15-019802-5.