Dilemmas of Transition

Artemidorus habet puerum sed vendidit agrum; agrum pro puero Calliodorus habet. Die uter ex istis melius rem gesserit, Aucte: Artemidorus amat, Calliodorus arat. Artemidorus possesses a young slave, but has sold his land; The land Calliodorus possesses in exchange for the slave. Say, which of those two made the better bargain, Auctus? Artemidorus has his pleasure, Calliodorus his plough.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 9, XXI
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker

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