| 71 Famous Quotes by Marcus Valerius Martial
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“To have nothing is not poverty.
[Lat., Non est paupertas, Nestor, habere nihil.]”
Proverbs Quotes Source: Epigrams (XI, 32, 8)
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“Fortune gives too much to many, enough to none.
[Lat., Fortuna multis dat nimis, satis nulli.]”
Proverbs Quotes Source: Epigrams (XII, 10, 2)
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“Where McGregor sits, there is the head of the table.”
Proverbs Quotes Source: Epigrams (XII, 10, 2)
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“Whoever makes great presents, expects great presents in return.
[Lat., Quisquis magna dedit, voluit sibi magna remitti.]”
Gifts Quotes Source: Epigrams (V, 59, 3)
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“When Fannius from his foe did fly
Himself with his own hands he slew;
Who e'er a greater madness knew?
Life to destroy for fear to die.”
Suicide Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. II, 80)
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“Diaulus, lately a doctor, is now an undertaker' what he does as
an undertaker, he used to do also as a doctor.”
Undertakers Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. I, ep. 47)
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“Some are good, some are middling, the most are bad.
[Lat., Sunt bona, sunt quaedam mediocria, sunt mala plura.]”
Comparisons Quotes Source: Epigrams (I, 17, 1)
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“Such are thou and I: but what I am thou canst not be; what thou
art any one of the multitude may be.
[Lat., Hoc ego, tuque sumus: set quod sum, non potes esse:
Tu quod es, e populo quilibet esse potest.]”
Comparisons Quotes Source: Epigrams (V, 13, 9)
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“Glory paid to our ashes comes too late.
[Lat., Cineri gloria sera est.]”
Glory Quotes Source: Epigrams (I, 26, 8)
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“My suit has nothing to do with the assault, or battery, or
poisoning, but is about three goats, which, I complain, have been
stolen by my neighbor. This the judge desires to have proved to
him; but you, with swelling words and extravagant gestures,
dilate on the Battle of Cannae, the Mithridatic war, and the
perjuries of the insensate Carthaginians, the Syllae, the Marii,
and the Mucii. It is time, Postumus, to say something about my
three goats.”
Judges Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. VI, ep. 19)
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“I pleaded your cause, Sextus, having agreed to do so for two
thousand sesterces. How is it that you have sent me only a
thousand? "You said nothing," you tell me; "and this cause was
lost through you." You ought to give me so much the more,
Sextus, as I had to blush for you.”
Judges Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. VIII, ep. 18)
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“To-morrow you will live, you always cry;
In what fair country does this morrow lie,
That 'tis so mighty long ere it arrive?
Beyond the Indies does this morrow live?
'Tis so far-fetched, this morrow, that I fear
'Twill be both very old and very dear.
"To-morrow I will live," the fool does say:
To-day itself's too late;--the wise lived yesterday.”
Tomorrow Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. V, ep. LVIII)
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“Work divided is in that manner shortened.
[Lat., Divisum sic breve fiet opus.]”
Work Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. IV, 83, 8)
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“Why do strong arms fatigue themselves with frivolous dumb-bells?
To dig a vineyard is a worthier exercise for men.”
Work Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. XIV, ep. 49)
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“There are many different voice and languages; but there is but
one voice of the peoples when you are declared to be the true
"Father of your country."
[Lat., Vox diversa sonat: populorum est vox tamen una,
Cum verus Patriae diceris esse Pater.]”
Patriotism Quotes Source: De Spectaculis (III, 11)
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“A beau is one who arranges his curled locks gracefully, who ever
smells of balm, and cinnamon; who hums the songs of the Nile, and
Cadiz; who throws his sleek arms into various attitudes; who
idles away the whole day among the chair of the ladies, and is
ever whispering into some one's ear; who reads little billets-
doux from this quarter and that, and writes them in return; who
avoids ruffling his dress by contact with his neighbour's sleeve,
who knows with whom everybody is in love; who flutters from feast
to feast, who can recount exactly the pedigree of Hirpinus. What
do you tell me? is this a beau, Cotilus? Then a beau, Cotilus,
is a very trifling thing.”
Foppery Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. III, ep. 6)
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“While an ant was wandering under the shade of the tree of
Phaeton, a drop of amber enveloped the tiny insect; thus she, who
in life was disregarded, became precious by death.”
Ants Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. VI, ep. 15)
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“The bee is enclosed, and shines preserved, in a tear of the
sisters of Phaeton, so that it seems enshrined in its own nectar.
It has obtained a worthy reward for its great toils; we may
suppose that the bee itself would have desired such a death.”
Bees Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. IV, ep. 32)
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“In adversity it is easy to despise life; he is truly brave who
can endure a wretched life.
[Lat., Rebus in angustis facile est contemnere vitam;
Fortiter ille facit qui miser esse potest.]”
Bravery Quotes Source: Epigrams (XI, 56, 15)
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“He who prefers to give Linus the half of what he wishes to
borrow, rather than to lend him the whole, prefers to lose only
the half.”
Borrowing Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. I, ep. 75)
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“You give me back, Phoebus, my bond for four hundred thousand
sesterces; lend me rather a hundred thousand more. Seek some one
else to whom you may vaunt your empty present: what I cannot pay
you, Phoebus, is my own.”
Borrowing Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. IX, ep. 102)
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“I have granted you much that you asked: and yet you never cease
to ask of me. He who refuses nothing, Atticilla, will soon have
nothing to refuse.”
Borrowing Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. XII, ep. 79)
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“My books need no one to accuse or judge you: the page which is
yours stands up against you and says, "You are a thief."”
Plagiarism Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. I, ep. 53)
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“Why, simpleton, do you mix your verses with mine? What have you
to do, foolish man, with writings that convict you of theft? Why
do you attempt to associate foxes with lions, and make owls pass
for eagles? Though you had one of Ladas's legs, you would not be
able, blockhead, to run with the other leg of wood.”
Plagiarism Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. X, ep. 100)
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“You often ask me, Priscus, what sort of person I should be, if I
were to become suddenly rich and powerful. Who can determine
what would be his future conduct? Tell me, if you were to become
a lion, what sort of a lion would you be?”
Wealth Quotes Source: Epigrams (bk. XII, ep. 92)
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Marcus Valerius Martial Quotes, Quotations, and Sayings
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