You Sold a Slave Yesterday
(c)You sold a slave yesterday
for twelve hundred sesterces, Cal;
at last the lavish dinner you’ve
long dreamed about is in the pan.
Tonight! Fresh mullet, four full pounds!
You know I’ll not complain, old pal,
about the food. But that’s not fish
we’ll eat tonight; that was a man.
- Marcus Vakerius Martialis
(Martial) (A.D. 40-104) Roman