Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Videos
Resources
Syllable Counter
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Quotes
Short Stories
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 216.73.216.32
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
After: "Letter of Mithridates to Phraates, King of Parthia" Historiae VI by Sallust ***************************** I am a man more poisoned against than poisoning. That’s my version anyhow, and I’m sticking to it. Don’t blame me for having survived a few meals Which others, less fortunate, could not. All that doesn’t help me now with Pompey at my throat. Pompey, plunderer and bully, who has enough wit Only to command a Materialschlacht, But that is child’s play with Rome’s support. Rome! Scourge of cities, tribes, peoples, nations, all mankind, Were not the Pillars of Hercules, the western shores Sufficient for your ravenous appetite That your eagle eyes scan my realm? O Phraates, King of Parthia still unvanquished, Had you but lent your ear to me when together we Might have rid the East of this ill-begotten son Of Mars. Small the credit, so great the loss! For Rome, unchallenged, bestrides the Great Sea. Eastwards He surveys my mountains and your rivers, groves and plains, No doubt beyond. Remember Alexander, Who sacked glorious Persepolis. You vainly sue for peace, like credulous Philipp once When fondly strung along with Rome’s promises of “pax”. And what of Carthage? Where now her wealth of gold And purple? Barren her poisoned lands! Mind you, I’m not well-placed on a high moral pedestal When it comes to poisoning, but limits I respect. A few enemies now and then, I admit, Died at my table. The ham was off! But the earth is sacrosanct. I never salted fields, For Rome’s venom is stronger than aught I ever brewed. Where shall this end? Shall Rome vanquish all nations? Shall all cower to his bloody sword? But Rome! With surfeiting the eaten, not the eater, Prevails. The whole world is, even for iron digestions, Strong meat. It is the sun, not Romulus, whom East and West obey. Helios rules. With Rome to east and Rome to west, then two Romes are there, And I do fear for man and earth. The approach of death Lends men insight. I fought, I won, I lost in war. My spirit is still king. Sirs, your health. The last round! Like Carthage we lose to Rome the third round. Once more is the Gordian knot in twain. Quirites, The gods look down. Remember Alexander, Who died of fever in Babylon!
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required