Martial, the father of the epigram, was one of the brilliant provincial
poets who made their literary mark on first-century Rome. His Epigrams can
be affectionate or cruel, elegiac or playful; they target every element of
Roman society, from slaves to schoolmasters to, above all, the aristocratic
elite. With wit and wisdom, Martial evokes not “the grandeur that was
Rome,” but rather the timeless themes of urban life and society.