Starving For Friends

Centum miselli iam valete quadrantes, anteambulonis congiarium lassi, quos dividebat balneator elixus. Quid cogitatis, o fames amicorum? Regis superbi sportulae recesserunt. “Nihil stropharum est: iam salarium dandum est”. Domitian’s banned our money dole. Adieu The worn-out client’s pitiful revenue For being obsequious, which some half-drowned Superintendent of the bath dealt round. We’ve seen the last of “pricely” dividends. What do you think of the news, my starving friends? “Let’s face the facts”, they say, “we’re on our uppers: We want a fixed wage, not uncertain suppers”. Addio, addio, o miseri miei cento quadranti, congiario d’uno stanco cliente, che un lessato maestro di bagno distribuisce. O fami degli amici miei, che ne dite? Le sportule del superbo Re son tolte via. Non ci son più superchierie: ora sarà distribuito il salario.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 3, VII
English translation by James Michie
Italian translation by Giuspanio Graglia

A person dives underwater on a sunny autumn day off the beach in the city of Cabourg, France. Photo: AFP/Charly Triballeau.