Rufe, vides illum subsellia prima terentem,

[Joe S.]

Hey guys. Hoping to translate this poem by Martial. I think says something about boots??? Thank you so much for the help!

XXIX


Rufe, vides illum subsellia prima terentem,
Cuius et hinc lucet sardonychata manus
Quaeque Tyron totiens epotavere lacernae
Et toga non tactas vincere iussa nives,
Cuius olet toto pinguis coma Marcellano
Et splendent volso bracchia trita pilo,
Non hesterna sedet lunata lingula planta,
Coccina non laesum pingit aluta pedem,
Et numerosa linunt stellantem splenia frontem.
Ignoras quid sit? splenia tolle, leges.
M. Valerii Martialis Epigrammaton libri / recognovit W. Heraeus. Martial. Wilhelm Heraeus. Jacobus Borovskij. Leipzig. 1925/1976.

 

[Aurifex]

P. 124.

 

[Joe S.]

P. 124.

Thank you SO much! Now if I could only understand the lesson to be learned in this particular epigram? Any ideas?

 

[Aurifex]

Thank you SO much! Now if I could only understand the lesson to be learned in this particular epigram? Any ideas?

There's a note at the bottom of p. 127 that might help. The character depicted is a former slave, and the point is that his attempts at refinement can't conceal his ignominious history.