French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Rimell, Martial's Rome: Empire and the Ideology of Epigram
Poetry and Poetics

Victoria Rimell, Martial's Rome: Empire and the Ideology of Epigram. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pp. viii, 231.

• ISBN 9780521828222.
• $99.00.

Review by John Alexander Lobur (University of Mississippi) in Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2010.05.53.

Publisher's overview:

This provocative book is a major contribution to our understanding of Martial's poetics, his vision of the relationship between art and
reality, and his role in formulating modern perceptions of Rome. The study shows how, on every scale from the microscopic to the cosmic, Martial displays epigram's ambition to enact the sociality of urban life, but also to make Rome rise out of epigram's architecture and gestures. Martial's distinctive aesthetic, grounded in paradox and inconsistency, ensures that the humblest, most throwaway poetic form is best poised to capture first-century empire in all its dazzling complexity. As well as investigating many of Martial's central themes – monumentality, economics, death, carnival, exile – this book also questions what kind of a mascot Martial is for classics today in our own advanced, multicultural world. It will be an invaluable guide for scholars and students of classical literature and Roman history.
Victoria Rimell is Associate Professor of Latin Literature in the Department of Greek and Latin Philology, Sapienza, University of Rome.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Getting to know Martial 1
1 Contagion and copyright: the city as text 19
2 Vigor mortis: living and dying 51
3 Poetic economies: figuring out Martial's maths 94
4 Mundus inversus: Martial's Saturnalia 140
5 The space of epigram 181
Epilogue 207
Bibliography 211
Index of Epigrams discussed 225
Index of subjects 230

Classical epigram developed as a versatile poetic form closely tied to Hellenistic traditions before gaining distinct prominence in Flavian Rome. Practitioners of the genre utilized concise expression to capture fleeting moments, social interactions, and urban realities. Within this literary landscape, Martial is recognized for his paradoxical aesthetic and his engagement with the shifting social dynamics of the imperial capital. The epigrammatic medium allowed poets to negotiate the tensions between monumental civic architecture and the mundane details of daily urban existence.

Readers interested in classical literature and Roman history may find this study relevant to their pursuits. The volume situates Martial within broader discussions of ancient culture by touching upon themes such as monumentality, death, economics, and exile. Victoria Rimell addresses how these poetic structures reflect the realities of first-century imperial life without offering external claims or unmentioned theoretical frameworks beyond the scope of the original publication.