Sul quaestor di Martial. Epigr. 7.37

The essay analyses the epigram of Martial 7.37 which derides a quaestor who would blow his nose to declare a death sentence. After excluding different hypotheses, the author recognises the magistrate as a quaestor Augusti who would reveal to the Senate the will of the emperor Domitian by that weird gesture. Finally, he rules out that the episode described by the poet deals with the gladiatorial games and not the repression carried out by the Senate.