Birth
Martial was born in Bilbilis, which was located near what is now the town of Saragossa, close to the Pyrenees in North Eastern Spain. 

Rome
He moved to Rome in 64 (24), when Nero was Emperor and (among other things) a generous patron of the arts. He lived first in an attic room overlooking the portico of Agrippa, but was later given a small villa near Nomentum (a few miles north east of Rome) by the Emperor Domitian, who also later granted him equestrian status, and gave him a house on the Quirinal. 

Poetry
Little else is known about his life until the publication of his first book of epigrams in 84 (44), the Liber Spectaculorum or Book of Games, in honour of the dedication of the Coliseum in 80 (40). The Xenia (Gifts for Guests) and Apophoreta (Gifts for Guests to Take Home) followed, before he produced the twelve Books of Epigrams, for which he is now remembered, between 86 (46) and 102 (62). 

Return to Spain and death
He returned to Spain in 98 (58), and died in c 104 (64). 

Comment by Pliny
According to Pliny, ‘he was clever, sharp and keen eyed, and his writings had both savour and wit, and no less honesty’, though he also wrote : ‘But I think his poems will not long survive their author, though I believe he himself thought they would’.

home  

list of poets

Poetry  
Book II, Epigram XXXVI
Book X, Epigram XLVII

Other classical poets  
Sappho 
Horace  
Catullus  
Ovid

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