Marcus Valerius Martialis, Epigrammata 11.98

Martial complains to Flaccus that there is no escaping the kiss-givers who accost one everywhere, undeterred by sores, skin lesions, runny noses, or any physical barrier such as a litter or closed sedan chair, and that not even the highest offices of consul, tribune, or praetor will drive them off, concluding that the only remedy is to make the one you least want to kiss your close friend.

 

Tier 1

Non est potest nobis effugere basiatores, Flacce. Basiatores te instant, te morantur; basiatores te sequentur et hinc et illinc, ex omni loco, in omni loco, ad omnem locum.

Nihil defendit te a basiatoribus. Non ulcus acre vel pusulae lucentes (white pustules), nec triste mentum (chin) et sordidi lichenes (ugly skin lesions, like herpes) nec labra quae multum pinguis tegit, nec aqua de naso fluens defendit te a basiatoribus.

Et basiatores basiant te nimis calidum et nimis frigidum, et basiant te etiam cum tu reservas basium tuum uxore tuo. Etiam si caput tuum tectum cucullis (hood) non te adiuvat, nec lectica tuta pelle (hide canvas, probably as a roof) et velo (cloth curtain) nec sella clausa vallis te vindicabit:

Basiator per omne spatium intrabit.

Non officium consulis, neque officium tribuni nec sex fasces praetoris, nec superba virga clamosi lictoris abiget (will drive off) basiatorem:

Licet tibi sedere in alta sella iudicis et licet tibi reddere iura gentibus a curuli sella consulis, basiator illa via vel illa via sellam ascendet.

Basiator te basiabit te aegrotantem et te plorantem, dabit basium tibi aperienti os tuum et dabit basium tibi natanti, etiam dabit basium tibi cacanti. Solum remedium mali est, facias basiatorem quem tu nolis basiare amicum tuum.

Written by Robert Amstutz