Martial, : the twelve books of Epigrams,.

MARTIAL'S EPIGRAMS

* XXVI
DOMITIAN'S CIRCUS GAMES
THE Indian hunter by the Eastern mead,
When pale he flies on his Hyrcanian steed,
Sees not as many tigers as have come
To-day, great Sire, to give delight to Rome.
Your games outshine those victory spoils of yore
That Bacchus once from Erythraea bore:
For when dark India to his car did bow,
A pair of tigers were for him enow.
XXVII
TO GAURUS
You rich old fool, the gifts that toady gave
Mean he would like to give one more-a grave.
* XXVIII
ON THE GIFT OF A TOGA FROM PARTHENIUS
SAY, gown, most welcome gift from learned friend,
To what famed flock dost thou new glory lend?
Did the Apulian herbage for thee bloom
Where once Phalanthus had his Spartan home
And dark Galaesus with Calabrian tide
Brings riches to the teeming country-side?
Dost come from many-mouthed Timarus' bank
Whose waters Castor's noble charger drank,
Or did my Spanish Baetis wash thee too
When thou wert wool on some Hesperian ewe?
No Spartan dye thy whiteness might decrease,
Nor was Miletus worthy of thy fleece,
Than lilies and young privet brighter still
And ivory on Tibur's glorious hill,
Nor swan nor pigeon can compare with thee
Nor pearls fished up from Erythraean sea.
Yet though his gift is fairer than the snow
Parthenius is yet more fair, I trow.
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