11:21 AM

Marcus Valerius Martialis, Epigrammata 11.6

Martial calls for wine and kisses during the Saturnalia, invoking Catullus as the model for his holiday revels.

 

Tier 1

Unctis diebus (anointed days) falciferi senis (Saturni), quibus fritillus (dice box) regnat, tu, Roma pilleata (hatted), permittis me, puto, ludere versu non laborioso.

Rides; licet mihi ergo, non necesse est mihi vetari leves versus. Pallentes curae abite procul hinc; dicamus quiquid venerit facilius sine triste cogitatione.

Puer, misce duo pocula et tria pocula, qualem Pythagoras dabat Neroni, misce et misce, Dindyme:

Sine vino, possum agere nihil; cum sum ebrius, id est sicut quindecim poetae cum me laborat.

Da mihi nunc basia, sed Catulliana basia: quae si tot mihi fuerint quot Catullus dixit, donabo tibi Passerem Catulli.

Written by Robert Amstutz

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