Often the authentic Latin in standard grammatical texts appears without any discussion of the cultural or literary context of the excerpt. Thus, students frequently complain that “the passage makes no sense.” To avoid this problem, teachers can select a series of short poems that are focused on a unified theme.
All of the following epigrams deal with reciting poems or with the literary world of the Roman Empire. In addition to reading these selections with their students, teachers may want to make them the basis for a class research project.
Martial 1.29
Fama refert nostros te, Fidentine, libellos
non aliter populo quam recitare tuos.
si mea vis dici, gratis tibi carmina mittam:
si dici tua vis, hoc eme, ne mea sint.
Martial 1.38
Quem recitas meus est, O Fidentine, libellus:
sed male cum recitas, incipit esse tuus.
Martial 2.88
Nil recitas et vis, Mamerce, poeta videri.
quidquid vis esto, dummodo nil recites.
Martial 4.72
Exigis ut donem nostros tibi, Quinte, libellos.
non habeo, sed habet bybliopola Tryphon.
Aes dabo pro nugis et emam tua carmina sanus?
non inquis faciam tam fatue. nec ego.
Martial 8.73.5-10
Cynthia te vatem fecit lasciva, Properti;
ingenium Galli pulchra Lycoris erat;
fama est arguti Nemesis formosa Tibulli;
Lesbia dictavit, docte Catulle, tibi:
non me Paeligni nec spernet Mantua vatem,
si qua Corinna mihi, si quis Alexis erit.
