Martial quotes

While you cannot resolve what you are, at last you may be nothing.

I believe that man to be wretched whom none can please.

Why do strong arms fatigue themselves with frivolous dumbbells? To dig a vineyard is worthier exercise for men.

You may envy every one, but no one envies you.

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.

To have nothing is not poverty. [Lat., Non est paupertas, Nestor, habere nihil.]

You puff the poets of other days, The living you deplore. Spare me the accolade: your praise Is not worth dying for.

The shameless Chloe placed on the tombs of her seven husbands the inscription, "The work of Chloe." How could she have expressed herself more plainly?

The African lions rush to attack bulls; they do not attack butterflies. [Lat., In tauros Libyci ruunt leones; Non sunt papilionibus molesti.]

Tomorrow's life is too late. Live today.

Be merry if you are wise.

It is feeling and force of imagination that make us eloquent.

Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.

Make it a point not to be over-fascinating.

To be able to enjoy one's past life is to live twice.

You ask what a nice girl will do? She won't give an inch, but she won't say no.

You praise, in three hundred verses, Sabellus, the baths of Ponticus, who gives such excellent dinners. You wish to dine, Sabellus, not to bathe.

There is no glory in otustripping donkeys.

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.

If pale beans bubble for you in a red earthenware pot, you can often decline the dinners of sumptuous hosts.

Can the fish love the fisherman? [Lat., Piscatorem piscis amare potest?]

Some good, some so-so, and lots plain bad: that's how a book of poems is made, my Friend.

The face that cannot smile is never fair.

He who writes distichs, wishes, I suppose, to please by brevity. But, tell me, of what avail is their brevity, when there is a whose book full of them?

Short is the life of those who possess great accomplishments, and seldom do they reach a good old age. Whatever thou lovest, pray that thou mayest not set too high a value on it.

From no place can you exclude the fates. [Lat., Nullo fata loco possis excludere.]

He writes nothing whose writings are not read.

There is no living with thee, nor without thee.

I do not love thee, Sabidius, nor can I say why; I can only say this, "I do not love thee."

The world is blessed most by men who do things, and not by those who merely talk about them. -James Oliver 'Tomorrow I will live,' the fool does say; tomorrow itself is late; the wise live yesterday.

Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.

It is easy in adversity to despise death; he has real fortitude who dares to live and be wretched.

They let out on hire their passions and eloquence. [Referring to lawyers.]

I would not miss your face, your neck, your hands, your limbs, your bosom and certain other of your charms. Indeed, not to become boring by naming them all, I could do without you, Chloe, altogether.

You should not fear, nor yet should you wish for your last day.

I wont let a wife lead me to the altar. [I will not have a wife that shall be my master.]

I commend you, Postumus, for kissing me with only half your lip; you may, however, if you please, withhold even the half of this half. Are you inclined to grant me a boon still greater, and even inexpressible? Keep this whole half entirely to yourself, Postumus.

You are so pure in mind and heart, In aspect, too, so mild, I wonder that you ever could Implant your wife with child.

Service cannot be expected from a friend in service; let him be a freeman who wishes to be my master.

For life is only life when blessed with health.

Do you ask why I am unwilling to marry a rich wife? It is because I am unwilling to be taken to husband by my wife. The mistress of the house should be subordinate to her husband, for in no other way, Priscus, will the wife and husband be on an equality.

If fame is to come only after death, I am in no hurry for it.

If you have any shame, forbear to pluck the beard of a dead lion.

Wish to be what you are, and wish for no other position.

Life's not just about being alive, but being well.

My poems are naughty, but my life is pure.

Too late is tomorrow's life; live for today.

Nothing is more ill-timed than an ill-timed laugh.

Be cheerful, if you are wise.

To-morrow I will live, the fool does say; To-day itself's too late, the wise lived yesterday.

A novice always behaves with propriety.

A vagrant is everywhere at home.

Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality, and benevolence; the other from pride or fear, or from the fact that you cannot take your money with you to the other world.

To the ashes of the dead glory comes too late.

This I ask, is it not madness to kill thyself in order to escape death? [Lat., Hic rogo non furor est ne moriare mori?]

Whoever makes great presents, expects great presents in return.

He who weighs his burdens, can bear them.

Gifts are like fish-hooks; for who is not aware that the greedy char is deceived by the fly which he swallows?

Who gives to friends so much from Fate secures, That is the only wealth for ever yours. [Lat., Extra fortunam est, quidquid donatur amicis; Quas dederis, selas semper habebis opes.]

I do not hate the man, but his vices.

What's a wretched man? A man whom no man pleases.

Genuine is the sorrow endured without anyone else knowing about it.

While you remain at home your hair is at the hairdresser's; you take out your teeth at night and sleep tucked away in a hundred cosmetics boxes - even your face does not sleep with you.

A fisherman's walk: three steps and overboard.

Believing hear, what you deserve to hear: Your birthday as my own to me is dear... But yours gives most; for mine did only lend Me to the world; yours gave to me a friend.

All your female friends are either old or ugly; nay, more ugly than old women usually are. These you lead about in your train, and drag with you to feasts, porticos and theaters. Thus, Fabulla, you seem handsome, thus you seem young.

You're obstinate, pliant, merry, morose, all at once. For me there's no living with you, or without you.

If your slave commits a fault, do not smash his teeth with your fists; give him some of the (hard) biscuit which famous Rhodes has sent you.

No amount of misfortune will satisfy the man who is not satisfied with reading a hundred epigrams.

There is nothing more revolting than an old busybody.

Be satisfied, and pleased with what thou art, Act cheerfully and well thou allotted part; Enjoy the present hour, be thankful for the past, And neither fear, nor wish, the approaches of the last.

Wine and women bring misery.

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.]

Givers of great dinners know few enemies.

Every epigram should resemble a bee; it should have sting, honey, and brevity.

It is folly to waste labour about trifles.

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.

It is as good as second life to be able to look back upon our past life with pleasure

Live thy life as it were spoil and pluck the joys that fly.

Those they praise, but they read the others.

Work divided is in that manner shortened.

Your page stands against you and says to you that you are a thief.

In adversity it is easy to despise life; he is truly brave who can endure a writeched life

You complain, friend Swift, of the length of my epigrams, but you yourself write nothing. Yours are shorter.

You admire, Vacerra, only the poets of old and praise only those who are dead. Pardon me, I beseech you, Vacerra, if I think death too high a price to pay for your praise.

For wealth's now given to none but to the rich.

There is no glory in outstripping donkeys.

A jar of wine so priceless did not deserve to die. and Never think of leaving perfume or wines to your heir. Administer these youself and let him have the money.

Do you ask what sort of a maid I desire or dislike, Flaccus? I dislike one too easy and one too coy. The just mean, which lies between the two extremes, is what I approve; I like neither that which tortures nor that which cloys.

It is not he who forms idols in gold or marble that makes them gods, but he who kneels before them.

Life consists not merely in existing, but in enjoying health.

She grieves sincerely who grieves unseen.

Neither fear your death's day nor long for it.

Man loves malice, but not against one-eyed men nor the unfortunate, but against the fortunate and proud.

If fame comes after death, I'm in no hurry for it. [Lat., Si post fata venit gloria non propero.]

He truly sorrows who sorrows unseen.

Whoever is not too wise is wise. [Lat., Quisquis plus justo non sapit, ille sapit.]

Some are good, some are middling, the most are bad.

Of no day can the retrospect cause pain to a good man.

The virtuous man is never a novice in worldly things.

If you are poor now, Aemilianus, you will always be poor. Riches are now given to none but the rich.

Laugh, if thou art wise.

When your crowd of attendants so loudly applaud you, Pomponius, it is not you, but your banquet, that is eloquent.

Gifts are like hooks.

Joys do not stay, but take wing and fly away.

Birdes of a feather will flocke togither.

Virtue extends our days: he lives two lives who relives his past with pleasure.

What quick wit is found in sudden straits!

Hidden evils are most dreaded.

There is nothing more contemptible than a bald man who pretends to have hair.

Rarity gives a charm; so early fruits and winter roses are the most prized; and coyness sets off an extravagant mistress, while the door always open tempts no suitor.

You are sad in the midst of every blessing. Take care that Fortune does not observe--or she will call you ungrateful.

A cook should double one sense have: for he Should taster for himself and master be.

A man who lives everywhere lives nowhere.

Life is not living, but living in health.

Spare the person but lash the vice.

Non est, crede mihi, sapientis dicere 'Vivam': Sera nimis vita est crastina: vive hodie. Believe me, wise men don't say 'I shall live to do that', tomorrow's life is too late; live today. Variant translation: Tomorrow will I live, the fool does say; Today itself's too late; the wise lived yesterday.

Fortune gives too much to many, enough to none.

A good man doubles the length of his existence; to have lived so as to look back with pleasure on our past existence is to live twice.

If my opinion is of any worth, the fieldfare is the greatest delicacy among birds, the hare among quadrupeds.

If you want him to mourn, you had best leave him nothing.

You importune me, Tucca, to present you with my books. I shall not do so; for you want to sell, not to read, them.

That which prevents disagreeable flies from feeding on your repast, was once the proud tail of a splendid bird.

I have not hated the man, but his faults.

The flaw which is hidden is deemed greater than it is.