Dionysius Cato, Distichs 4.49

Cato wrote a collection of distichs purveying assorted bits of wisdom. The final poem of the set explains why he chose this form:

miraris versus nudis me scribere verbis?
hoc brevitas fecit, sensu uno iungere binos.

Are you surprised that I write verses with unadorned words? It’s brevity that makes me join them, two at a time, in a single meaning.