A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MARTIALIS. MARTIALIS. 965
only in the city, but also in Gaul, Germany, than the fifteenth century; but the most judicious
Britain, Getica, and the wild region of the north; critics are of opinion that the greater number of
he secured the special patronage of the emperors the pieces are genuine, although it is not unlikely
Titus and Domitian, obtained by his influence the that spurious matter may have found its way both
freedom of the state for several of his friends, into this and the other books, for we find a reand received for himself, although apparently with- monstrance (x. 100) addressed to an unscrupulous
out family if not unmarried, the highly-valued pri- pretender, who was attempting to palm his own
vileges accorded to those who were the fathers of progeny on the public under the cover of Martial's
three children (jus triunm liberorum), together with reputation.
the rank of tribunus and the rights of the eques- Considerable praise is due to the industry distrian order, distinctions which in his case were played by Loyd and Dodwell in adjusting the
probably merely honorary, not implying the dis- chronology of Martial, but the recent labours of
charge of any particular duties, nor the possession Clinton are much more satisfactory. It is clear
of any considerable fortune. His circumstances, from the introductory dedication and notices in
however, must have been at one time easy; for he prose and verse, that the different books were colhad a mansion in the city whose situation he de- lected and published by the author, sometimes
scribes, and a suburban villa near Nomentum, to singly and sometimes several at one time. The
which he frequently alludes with pride. It is true " Liber de Spectaculis" and the first nine books of
that Pliny, in the letter to which we have referred the regular series involve a great number of hisabove, states that he made Martial a pecuniary torical allusions, extending from the games of Titus
present to assist in defraying the expenses of his (A. D. 80) down to the return of Domitian from
journey (prosecutus eram viatico secedentem), but the Sarmatian expedition, in January, A. n. 94.
when he adds that the gift was presented as an The second book could not have been written until
acknowledgment for a complimentary address, he after the commencement of the Dacian war (ii. 2)?
gives no hint that the poverty of the bard was such that is, not before A. D. 86, nor the sixth until after
as to render this aid an act of charity. The assertion the triumph over the Dacians and Germans (A. D.
that the father of Martial was named'Fronto 91); the seventh was written while the Sarmatian
and his mother Flaccilla, rests upon a mistaken war, which began in A. D. 93, was still in progress,
interpretation of the epigram v. 34; and another and reaches to the end of that year. The eighth
curious delusion at one time prevailed with regard book opens in January, A. D. 94, the ninth also
to the name of Martial himself. In the biography refers to the same epoch, but may, as Clinton supof Alexander Severus (c. 38) we find the twenty- poses, have been written in A. D. 95. The whole
ninth epigram of the fifth book quoted as " Mar- of these were composed at Rome, except the third,
tialis Coci Epigramma," and hence Joannes of Salis- which was written during a tour in Gallia Togata.
bury (Curial. Nugar. vii. 12, viii. 6, 13), Jacobus The tenth book was published twice: the first
Magnus of Toledo (SopZolog. passim), and'Vin- edition was given hastily to the world; the second,
centius ofBeauvais (Specul. Doctr. iii. 37), suppose that which we now read (x. 2), celebrates the
Coquus to have been a cognomen of the poet, and arrival of Trajan at Rome, after his accession to
designate him by that appellation. The numerous the throne (x. 6, 7, 34, 72). Now, since this
corruptions which everywhere abound in the text event took place A. D. 99, and since the twentyof the Augustan historians, and the fact that the fourth epigram of this book was written in honour
word in question is altogether omitted in several of the author's fifty-seventh birthday, we are thus
MSS. and early editions, while we find etiam sub- supplied with the data requisite for fixing the
stituted for it in two of the Palatine codices, justify epoch of his birth; and since at the close of the
us in concluding either that coci was foisted in by book (x. 104) he had been thirty-four years at
the carelessness of a transcriber, or that the true Rome, we can thence calculate the time when he
reading is coce, i. e. quoque, which will remove evxery left Spain. The eleventh book seems to have been
difficulty. published at Rome, early in A. D. 100, and at the
The extant works of Martial consist of an close of the year he returned to Bilbilis. After
assemblage of short poems, all included under the keeping silence for three years (xii. prooem.), the
general appellation Epigrammata, upwards of 1500 twelfth book was despatched from Bilbilis to Rome
in number, divided into fourteen books. Those (xii. 3, 18), and in this he refers (xii. 5) to the two
which form the two last books, usually distinguished preceding books, published, as we have seen, in A. D.
respectively as Xenia and Ajpophoreta, amounting 99 and 100. Allowing, therefore, for the interval
to 350, consist, with the exception of the intro- of repose, the twelfth book must be assigned to
ductions, entirely of distichs, descriptive of a vast A. D. 104. It must be observed, however, that if
variety of small objects, chiefly articles of food or the Parthenius, to whom book xi. is dedicated, and
clothing, such as were usually sent as presents who is again addressed in book xii.:(ep. 11), be
among friends during the Saturnalia, and on other the " Palatinus Parthenius," the chamberlain of
festive occasions. In addition to the above, nearly Domitian (iv. 45, v. 6, viii. 28; comp. Sueton.
all the printed copies include 33 epigrams, forming Domit. 16), and if the statement of Victor (Epit.
a book apart from the rest, which, ever since the 12), that this Parthenius was cruelly murdered by
time of Gruter, has been commonly known as Liber the soldiery (A. D. 97) soon after the elevation of
de Spectaculis, because the contents relate entirely Nerva, can be depended upon, it is evident that
to the shows exhibited by Titus and Domitian, but some pieces belonging to earlier years were included
there is no ancient authority for the title, and hence in the later books. It is not necessary, however,
the most recent editor restores the proper and to hold with Clinton, that Ep. xi. 4 is in honour
simple form Liber Epigrammaton. The " De Spec- of the third consulship of Nerva (A. D. 97), since
taculis" is altogether wanting in most of the best the words and the name Nerva are equally apMSS., and of those which embrace it two only, plicable to the third consulship of Trajan (A. D.
both derived from the same archetype, are older 100). Books xiii. and xiv.,theXenia andApopho3Q 3