Suddenly, the vein of Homer descended upon Arcovazzi

Esset, Castrice, cum mali coloris, versus scribere coepit Oppianus. Because his pallor, Castricus, got worse, Oppianus started writing verse. Quando s’accorse d’aver brutta cera, a scriver versi incominciò Oppiano.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 7, IV
English translation by Susan McLean
Italian translation by Giuseppe Lipparini