Translations - Greek Anthology Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCBB C C DDEFGGHHIICCCC C C JKLMCCNCOOCCPPQQ C C C LMCCRRHHNNCC C C CSCS C C CC C C TCTC C C CCUUII C C CCVVCC C C WWCCHHBBXXCC C C YYCCCCCC C C CCCC C CCCC C N C CCCCCC Z C MCLC C C OOA2A2CCCCDDPCB2B2 P C CCCC PX | A |
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Woe to the house whose mistress was a slave | B |
So say old saws my own in aid I crave | B |
Woe to the court whose judge once spake for fees | C |
Though he were readier than Isocrates | C |
An advocate that pleaded once for pelf | B |
Scarce on the bench forgets his former self | B |
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Palladas | C |
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XI | C |
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This Olympicus of old | D |
Had Sebastus I am told | D |
Quite his share of upper gear | E |
Nose and chin and eye and ear | F |
All he lost and by his fist | G |
He became a pugilist | G |
Loss of members with it drew | H |
Loss of patrimony too | H |
When his birthright he would claim | I |
Into court his brother came | I |
With a portrait saying Thus | C |
Looked the old Olympicus | C |
None could any likeness see | C |
Disinherited was he | C |
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Lucillus | C |
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XI | C |
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A pig a goat an ox I lost | J |
I want them back at any cost | K |
And so retained O woful fate | L |
Menecles for my advocate | M |
But tell me will you what have these | C |
In common with Othryades | C |
The heroes of Thermopyl | N |
Have nought to do with theft from me | C |
Against Eutychides I bring | O |
My action for a trivial thing | O |
Let Xerxes rest a little space | C |
And leave the Spartans in their place | C |
For if you don't put all this by | P |
I'll go into the streets and cry | P |
The voice of Menecles is big | Q |
But what about my stolen pig | Q |
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Lucillus | C |
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This Epigram is probably an imitation of that of Martial on p | C |
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XI | C |
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Pluto rejected at his gate | L |
The soul of Mark the advocate | M |
No Cerberus my dog quoth he | C |
Will make you pleasant company | C |
But if within you needs must go | R |
Practise on poet Melito | R |
And you shall have if he won't do | H |
Tityus and Ixion too | H |
You'll be to hell the sorest ill | N |
Of all that hell contains until | N |
There come to us worse barbarisms | C |
When Rufus speaks his solecisms | C |
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Lucillus | C |
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XI | C |
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So soon hath Asiaticus | C |
The gift of eloquence achieved | S |
It was in Thebes it happened thus | C |
The story well may be believed | S |
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Ammianus | C |
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XI | C |
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The statue of an advocate as like as like can be | C |
And why The statue cannot speak a word no more could he | C |
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Anon | C |
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XI | C |
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Paul dost thou wish to make thy boy | T |
An advocate like these his betters | C |
Then let him not his time employ | T |
To useless ends in learning letters | C |
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Ammianus | C |
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XI | C |
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The parties were as deaf as deaf could be | C |
The judge was far the deafest of the three | C |
Said plaintiff Sir I ask for five months' rent | U |
Defendant Grinding corn all night I spent | U |
Why quoth the judge dispute Your mother's claim | I |
Is good and you must both support the dame | I |
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Nicarchus | C |
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XI | C |
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Remember justice and her yoke and know | C |
That 'gainst the wicked votes of Guilty go | C |
Thou trustest in thy cunning speech thy power | V |
Of speaking words that vary with the hour | V |
Hope what thou wilt thy trifling tricks are vain | C |
Thou canst not make the path of law less plain | C |
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Agathias | C |
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XI | C |
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Once to Diodorus came a client in a state of doubt | W |
And to that most learned counsel thus he set the matter out | W |
Alpha Beta found a slave girl who had run away from me | C |
To a slave of his he wed her though she was my property | C |
Well he knew she was my chattel she has had a child or two | H |
Now I cannot tell for certain whose the children are can you | H |
Diodorus thought consulted all authorities on Slave | B |
To his client turned his furrowed brows and slowly answer gave | B |
'Tis to you or to the other who you say has done you wrong | X |
That the children of the handmaid rightfully of course belong | X |
Your best plan will be the matter in the proper court to place | C |
So you'll get a good opinion whether you have any case | C |
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Agathias | C |
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PLAN | C |
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Good Hermes only just one cabbage plant | Y |
Stop stop my thieving traveller you can't | Y |
What grudge me one poor cabbage is it so | C |
Nay I don't grudge it but the law says no | C |
The law says Keep your itching palms d'ye see | C |
From meddling with another's property | C |
Well this beats anything I ever saw | C |
Hermes against a thief invokes the law | C |
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Philippus | C |
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APPENDIX | C |
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Pupils seven of Aristides | C |
Tell me how are ye | C |
Four of you are walls beside is | C |
Nought but benches three | C |
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Another Version | C |
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Seven pupils of the rhetor | C |
Aristides how are ye | C |
Seven Hoc et nihil pr ter | C |
Four are walls and benches three | C |
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Anon | C |
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MARTIAL | N |
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In Caium | C |
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Lend me sestertia Caius only twenty | C |
'Tis no great thing for you who roll in plenty | C |
He was an old companion and his coffers | C |
Were full enough to stand such friendly offers | C |
Go plead in court said he 'tis pleadings pay us | C |
I want your money not your counsel Caius | C |
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Martial ii | Z |
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In Causidicum | C |
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'Tis said that some bold advocate | M |
Has dared to criticise my poem | C |
His name I have not learned his fate | L |
Will be a warning when I know him | C |
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Martial v | C |
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In Postumum Causidicum | C |
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No claim for trespass do I bring | O |
Or homicide or poisoning | O |
I claim that by my neighbour's theft | A2 |
Of she goats three I was bereft | A2 |
The judge of course wants evidence | C |
But you go wandering far from thence | C |
And with a mighty voice declaim | C |
Of Mithridates and the shame | C |
Of Cann and the lies of old | D |
That Punic politicians told | D |
And why should you pass Sylla by | P |
The Marii and Mucii | C |
When Postumus d'ye hope to reach | B2 |
My stolen she goats in your speech | B2 |
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Martial vi | P |
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In Cinnam | C |
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Is this advocacy Cinna this a type of lawyers' powers | C |
This immense oration Cinna some nine words in some ten hours | C |
Waterclocks I grant you asked for Cinna yes you called for four | C |
There you stopped such wealth of silence Cinna ne'er was seen before | C |
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Martial viii | P |
James Williams
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