3/27/12
Why
Read
Catullus
in
Roman
History?
• To
get
you
to
want
to
take
La?n
• Voice
of
a
young
man
from
1st
century
BC
who
wasn’t
a
famous
general
or
poli?cian
• Example
of
the
evolu?on
of
Roman
culture
– from
the
rus?c
Roman
ideal
to
the
fashionable
Greek
trends
(i.e.
poetry
is
now
a
proper
object
of
intellectual
energy
for
a
Roman
gentleman)
– Emergence
of
individualism,
esp.
in
poli?cal
crisis
at
end
of
the
Republic
• See
historical
context
shaping
literature
• Window
into
Roman
view
of
manliness
and
sexuality
TIMELINE
FOR
GAIUS
VALERIUS
CATULLUS
• 88
BC
–
Sulla
wins
civil
war
against
Marius
and
Cinna
• 82
BC
–
Catullus
born
in
Verona
(Romanized
Gaul)
to
a
rich
provincial
family
with
?es
to
important
families
at
Rome,
including
Julius
Caesar.
• 71
BC
–
Spartacus’
slave
revolt
is
crushed
• 63
BC
–
Ca?linarian
Conspiracy
• 60
BC
–
Pompey,
Crassus,
&
Caesar
=
First
Triumvirate
• 54
BC
–
last
dateable
reference
in
Catullus’
poetry.
(Catullus
probably
died
soon
ager.
If
so,
he
was
about
30
when
he
died)
Cultural
evolu?on:
from
Cincinnatus
to
this??
Catullus
57
“How
well
those
two
bad
fairies
fit
together,
this
queenly
couple,
Caesar
and
Mamurra!
-‐-‐No
wonder,
for
they’re
like
as
two
stains
(one
is
from
the
city,
from
Formiae
the
other)
stains
sunk
in
too
deeply
to
be
go[en
rid
of:
a
pair
of
twins
with
all
the
same
diseases,
they
lie
entangled
on
one
couch
to
scribble,
adulterers
both,
equally
voracious,
rival
partners
in
ravishing
li[le
girls:
how
well
these
two
bad
fairies
fit
together!”
Catullus
the
Revolu?onary
• Catullus
“un-‐Roman”
simply
for
devo?ng
self
to
poetry
• his
poetry
is
not
na?onal
epic
celebra?ng
Rome!
– Instead,
it’s
about
Catullus’
personal
experiences
with
love,
sex,
social
circles,
and
wri?ng
poetry.
• Neoteric
Poets
/
New
Poets
– Write
about
personal,
every
day
experience
– Use
colloquial
and
even
vulgar
language
– But
consider
themselves
very
“learned”
&
poe?c
• Subjec?vity
in
Roman
poetry
was
an
innova?on
1
3/27/12
Who
was
Lesbia?
• A
source
a
few
centuries
later
tell
us
Lesbia
is
a
pseudonym
for
“Clodia”.
• Which
Clodia?
– Many
think
Clodia
Metelli,
sister
of
Clodius
Pulcher
(popularis
poli?cian)
and
woman
whom
Cicero
vilifies
in
one
of
his
most
famous
speeches!
– But
in
fact
not
sure…
• Why
nickname
her
Lesbia?
– a
nod
to
Sappho,
famous
female
Greek
poet
from
6th
century
BC,
who
lived
on
island
of
Lesbos.
Caveat:
Beware
of
the
poe?c
persona
• The
seeming
artlessness
of
Catullus
is
deliberate
&
arCul.
– Catullus
creates
a
whole
world
for
us
of
his
life
and
friends,
and
every
day
experiences.
– BUT
the
feeling
we
get
that
Catullus’
poetry
is
off
the
cuff
is
testament
to
his
poe?c
skill.
– C.’s
poetry
is
a
serious
and
scholarly
a[empt
to
change
how
poetry
func?oned.
He
labors
to
create
the
impression
of
an
unvarnished
glimpse
into
his
life.
2
Why Read Catullus in Roman History
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