MARTIAL - cures for bad dreams

Question 1

semper (always)

Line 1: semper mane mihi de me mera somnia narras

Answer 1

emphatically placed at beginning - stresses Nasidianus’ persistence in reporting the dreams to Martial

Question 2

mane mihi de me mera somnia

Line 1: semper mane mihi de me mera somnia narras

Answer 2

repetition of alliterated ‘m’ recalls the repetitive daily dream reports Martial is recieving

Question 3

narras

Line 1: semper mane mihi de me mera somnia narras

Answer 3

poem is addressed to a specific person (‘you describe’)

Question 4

moveant animum…meum

Line 2: quae moveant animum sollicitentque** meum**

Answer 4

• the phrase ‘move the soul’ is fairly common in latin - means ‘creates fear’
• the verbs moveant and sollicitent are both in the subjunctive here because clause is describing general characteristic of all the dreams not a single specific one - means that all Nasidianus’ dreams induce panic in the poet
• splitting of meum from animum and moving it to end of line help to emphasise it and in turn emphasise Martial’s fear

Question 5

what were faex?

Line 3: iam prior ad faecem, sed et haec vindemia venit

Answer 5

the dregs of the wine

• Martial has used up all his wine and all that is left are the dregs

Question 6

vendemia venit

Line 3: iam prior ad faecem, sed et haec vindemia venit

Answer 6

emphatic alliteration

there is nothing left of his wine at all

Question 7

what is a saga?

Line 4: exorat noctes dum mihi saga tuas

Answer 7

soothsayer

• saga was a wise-woman who often appeared in literature as a figure who can purify bad omens, especially dreams
• frequently characterised as drunken
• she has consumed all of his wine

Question 8

exorat

Line 4: exorat noctes dum mihi saga tuas

Answer 8

this verb is common in entreaties and prayers

Question 9

noctes… tuas

Line 4: exorat noctes dum mihi saga tuas

Answer 9

the delay of tuas (‘your’) until the end of the line emphasises how Martial is the one enduring all this trouble due to the dreams of his friend

they are not even his own dreams

Question 10

what are salsas molas?

Line 5: consumpsi salsasque molas et turis acervos

Answer 10

salted grain

ritual flower cakes used in sacrifices

Question 11

que… et

Line 5: consumpsi salsasque molas et turis acervos

Answer 11

an archaic form of et… et which creates and elevated tone here, sounding sombre and serious

this links to the fact that it is an elegaic couplet - expressing sorrow often for something now past

Question 12

what is turis?

Line 5: consumpsi salsasque molas et turis acervos

Answer 12

an incence commonly known as frankincense

it was costly and the acervos (‘heaps’) of this adds to the impression of Martials impoverishment

Question 13

frequens

Line 6: decrevere greges, dum cadit agna frequens

Answer 13

(‘constantly’) the emphatic position at the end of the line and hyperbole add to the humourous effect in this line

Question 14

non… non… non

Line 7: non porcus, non chortis aves, non ova supersunt

Answer 14

the anaphora in this asyndetic (lacking conjunctions) list is a rousong and emphatic conclusion to the description of Martial’s repetitive attempts - there is absolutely nothing left at all

Question 15

aut… aut

Line 8: aut vigila aut dormi, Nasidaine, tibi

Answer 15

• the pair of adversative conjunctions serve to reduce Nasidianus’ options down to two
• this creates a conclusion to Martial’s anguish, and also attacks Nasidianus for being the source of his problems

Question 16

vigila… dormi… tibi

Line 8: aut vigila aut dormi, Nasidaine, tibi

Answer 16

• the imperatives continue attack on Nasidianus
• Nasidianus’ options are
  1. ‘stay awake’, which is obviously ludicrous
  2. therfore the second option is the only real option, ‘keep your sleeping to yourself’
• delaying the dative tibi until the end of the line emphasises it, as the only real solution, and has a real ‘mind your own business’ tone to it
• Martial has therefore solved his problems in a typically witty manner

Question 17

what metre is the poem?

Answer 17

elegaic couplet

expressing sorrow often for something now past

Question 18

Martial is 8 lines organised into three sections.
What are the three sections?

Answer 18

• Lines 1-2: intro to scenario
• Lines 3-7: Martial’s reaction
• Line 8: punchy, witty, apotropaic (warding off evil) conclusion