Marcus Valerius Martialis, Epig.  11.1  (ca. A.D. 85): Quo tu, quo, libeer otiose, tendis cultus Sidone non cotidiana? numquid Parthenium videre? certe: vadas et redeas inevolutus. libros non legit ille sed libellos; nec Musis vacat, aut suis vacaret. ecquid te satis aestimas beatum, contingunt tibi si manus minores? vicini pete porticum Quirini: turbam non habet otiosiorem Pompeius vel Agenoris puella, vel primae dominus levis carinae. sunt illic duo tresve qui revolvant nostrarum tineas ineptiarum, sed cum sponsio fabulaeque lassae de Scorpo fuerint et Incitato. Where, where are you going, holiday book, dressed in purple not of every day? Is it to see Parthenius? To be sure. You would go and return unrolled. He does not read books but petitions, and has no time for the Muses, else he would have time for his own. Do you think yourself sufficiently happy if you fall into lesser hands? Then make for the colonnade of our neighbor Quirinus. Not Pompeius, nor Agenor's girl, nor the fickle captain of the first ship has an idler crowd. There are two or three there to unroll the bookworms breeding in my trifles, but only when the betting and gossiping about Scorpus and Incitatus is played out. (D. Shackleton Bailey, trans.)