Marcus Valerius Martial

You crystal break, for fear of breaking it:
Careless and careful hands like faults commit.

You crystal break, for fear of breaking it:
Careless and careful hands like faults commit.

If your slave commits a fault, do not smash his teeth with your
fists; give him some of the read more

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.

In adversity it is easy to despise life; he is truly brave who
can endure a wretched life.
read more

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.]

A beau is one who arranges his curled locks gracefully, who ever
smells of balm, and cinnamon; who hums read more

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.

Such are thou and I: but what I am thou canst not be; what thou
art any one of read more

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.]