Martial
De Spectaculis Liber
1
Barbara pyramidum sileat miracula Memphis, Assyrius iactet nec Babylona labor; nec Triviae templo molles laudentur Iones, dissimulet Delon cornibus ara frequens; 5aëre nec vacuo pendentia Mausolea laudibus immodicis Cares in astra ferant. omnis Caesareo cedit labor Amphitheatro, unum pro cunctis Fama loquetur opus.
2
Hic ubi sidereus propius videt astra colossus et crescunt media pegmata celsa via, invidiosa feri radiabant atria regis unaque iam tota stabat in urbe domus.
On the Spectacles
On the Spectacles
1
Let barbarous Memphis speak no more of the wonder of her pyramids, nor Assyrian 1 toil boast of Babylon; 2 nor let the soft Ionians be extolled for Trivia’s temple; 3 let the altar of many horns 4 say naught of Delos; nor let the Carians exalt to the skies with extravagant praises the Mausoleum 5 poised in empty air. All labor yields to Caesar’s Amphitheater. 6 Fame shall tell of one work in lieu of all.
2
Where the starry colossus 7 sees the constellations at close range and lofty scaffolding 8 rises in the middle of the road, once gleamed the odious halls of a cruel monarch, and in all Rome there stood a single house. 9 Where rises before
- 1That is, Babylonian, by a license common in Latin poetry (cf. Spect. 3.3).
- 2The walls of Semiramis.
- 3The temple of Diana at Ephesus.
- 4Constructed by Apollo of the horns of the beasts slain by his sister Diana. Like the other items, reckoned as one of the wonders of the world.
- 5See index (Mausolus).
- 6The Flavian Amphitheater, later called the Colosseum, begun by Vespasian and finished by Titus.
- 7A colossal statue of Nero, transferred from its place in his Golden House to the Via Sacra by Vespasian, who replaced the head to make it into a statue of the Sun, complete with rays (1.70.7).
- 8The purpose of this is in doubt; see A. Boethius’ discussion in Eranos 50 (1952). 129–137.
- 9The Golden House of Nero, built in 64 after the great fire of Rome.