Martial cure for a bad dream

Question 1

What is the context of the poem?

Answer 1

Martial dresses his friend (nasidimus)who has been having ominous dreams about the poet
Martial satirises about common Roman superstation

Question 2

What is the structure of the poem?

Answer 2

whole poem 8 lines
1-2 introduction to the scenario
3-7 in detail about martials reaction to the dream and he tries to stop them
line 8-he gives up

Question 3

What is the summary of line 1?

Answer 3

Every morning you recount to me idle dreams about myself

Question 4

What does “semper” mean in line 1?

Answer 4

emphatically placed at the beginning of the poem to stress Nasidius persistence in reporting these dreams to Martial

Question 5

What does “mane mihi de me mera somnia” mean/

Answer 5

repetition of “m” reinforces the repetitive daily report he gets
given in the morning Nasidius cant wait to report the bad news
dreams all about “me”as emphasized by the juxtaposition of “mihi de me”

Question 6

What is the summary of line 2?

Answer 6

Which may move and alarm my mind

Question 7

What does moveant animum..meum” suggest?

Answer 7

the phrase move by my mind” is fairly used in Latin and has the idea of creates fear

Question 8

What verb are there in line 2?

Answer 8

“moveant” and “sollicitent”
subjective because Martial is describing general characteristic of all the dreams rather than talking about a specific dream.
Makes it clear all of Nasidianus dreams induce pain in Martial

Question 9

What is the translation for line 3?

Answer 9

Now the previous vintage has come to me dregs and even this years

Question 10

What is the alliteration in line 3?

Answer 10

“Vindermia venit”-emphatic alliteration

there is noting left

Question 11

What were “feacem” in line 3?

Answer 11

dregs of the wine ,the liquid at the very bottom of the amphora and the stalks and grape skins

Question 12

What does the wine symbolize?

Answer 12

hi pouring so much wine is another way to stop his friends bad luck

Question 13

What is the translation for line 4?

Answer 13

While the wise women is appeasing your dreams for me

Question 14

What can we tell about the word order?

Answer 14

The words are jumbled indicating his desperation

Question 15

What is a “saga”?

Answer 15

a wise women who purified bad omens

magic is domain of women

Question 16

What is the translation for line 5?

Answer 16

I have eaten heaps of salted grains and frankincense

Question 17

What tone is created in line 5?

Answer 17

“que est”

creates an elevated tone making martial sound sombre and serious

Question 18

Why is frankincense important?

Answer 18

it had to be imported into Rome from Africa and Syria and so it was costly
the fact he spends heaps on it suggest Martial is using up all his wealth trying to stop Nasidius dreams

Question 19

What is the summary of line 6?

Answer 19

my flocks have dwindled away during the frequent scarifies of lamb

Question 20

What is the translation for line 7?

Answer 20

Not a pig not a bird from the coop not an egg is left

Question 21

What does “non..non..non” suggest in line 7?

Answer 21

the anaphora and the asyndetic list is a rousing and emphatic conclusion to the description of the repetitive attempts

Question 22

What does line 8 translate as?

Answer 22

either stay awake Nasidius or sleep (and dream) for yourself

Question 23

What does “aut..aut” suggest on line 8

Answer 23

the conjunctions reduces Nasisius options down to 2