Martial

Name: Marcus Valerius Martialis
Occupation: (Roman) Poet
Important Dates:

• Birth: c. A.D. 40, March 1, in what is now Spain.
• Death: c. 103, in Rome.

Martial received the traditional literary education in Spain before heading to Rome where he became a client of the Seneca family who were also Spaniards. In Seneca's circle were Lucan and Calpurnius Piso, who was involved in an unsuccessful plot against Nero.

In 80, Martial published Liber Spectaculorum 'On the Spectacles,' in celebration of the Colosseum. He followed this with more undistinguished epigrams and then between 86 and 102 he wrote the 12 books of epigrams on which Martial's fame was based.

Under the Flavians, Martial, yet unmarried and without the three children, earned the ius trium liberorum 'law of 3 children,' which gave him privileges, financial advantages, and the ability to start a political career. He was awarded a military tribuneship and equestrian rank.

Martial is considered the creator of the modern epigram. He wrote 1,561 epigrams, of which 1,235 are in elegiac couplets. Most are about people and are written with a bite. Many of his poems are considered obscene.

If you're familiar with limericks you will probably find Martial's epigrams familiar.