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You importune me, Tucca, to present you with my books. I shall not do so; for you want to sell, not to read, them.

Martial

You complain, friend Swift, of the length of my epigrams, but you yourself write nothing. Yours are shorter.
MARTIAL

Friendship Short Writing Yourself
What quick wit is found in sudden straits!
MARTIAL

Finding Quick Sudden
A novice always behaves with propriety.
MARTIAL

Beginning Behavior Novice
Gifts are like fish-hooks; for who is not aware that the greedy char is deceived by the fly which he swallows?
MARTIAL

Aware Fly Gift Himself Swallow
What’s a wretched man? A man whom no man pleases.
MARTIAL

Man Please Satisfaction
I know all that better than my own name.
MARTIAL

Better Myself Name
If your slave commits a fault, do not smash his teeth with your fists; give him some of the (hard) biscuit which famous Rhodes has sent you.
MARTIAL

Biscuit Commitment Mistake Slave Yourself
Givers of great dinners know few enemies.
MARTIAL

Enemy Food Greatness
Your seventh wife, Phileros, is now being buried in your field. No man’s field brings him greater profit than yours, Phileros.
MARTIAL

Bury Death Profit Wife Yourself
If you are poor now, Aemilianus, you will always be poor. Riches are now given to none but the rich.
MARTIAL

Poor Rich Unfair Willing Yourself
Tis easy to write epigrams nicely, but to write a book is hard.
MARTIAL

Book Easy Hard Writing Yourself
Your page stands against you and says to you that you are a thief.
MARTIAL

Page Stand Thief Yourself
You ask what a nice girl will do? She won’t give an inch, but she won’t say no.
MARTIAL

Herself Woman
I do not love thee, Sabidius, nor can I say why; I can only say this, “I do not love thee.”
MARTIAL

Love Myself
He who prefers to give Linus the half of what he wishes to borrow, rather than to lend him the whole, prefers to lose only the half.
MARTIAL

Borrow Himself Lose Preference
Some things are good, some middling, more bad.
MARTIAL

Bad Goodness

You importune me, Tucca, to present you with my books. I shall not do so; for you want to sell, not to read, them.

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You importune me, Tucca, to present you with my books. I shall not do so; for you want to sell, not to read, them.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Martial Quotes