Preview

Catullus One

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
953 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Catullus One
Clcs 331
Paper #1

Catullus was a Roman poet in the 1st century BCE. His poems were known for being differently written from what his contemporaries were writing at the time. While others were writing more “manly” poetry, about their sexual conquests, Catullus was less racy in his writings. In his “Poem 1”, Catullus is dedicating his new poetry to a man named Cornelius. While not a love poem like he usually wrote, “Poem 1” shows several aspects of Roman culture and gives us a glimpse of how Romans tried to make a lasting impression on the world of the future. In “Poem 1”, Catullus is simply dedicating his new poetry to Cornelius. He says that Cornelius “had the habit of making much of my poetic little”, which seems as if Catullus is saying that Cornelius made his poetry more of a big deal than it was worth. This may mean that Cornelius was very excited to be reading Catullus ' poetry, implying that the two were friends, or that Cornelius was just an admirer of Catullus '. This is reinforced by the next line which states, “...the first in Italy, were boldly unfolding all past ages in three volumes...”. In Rome, at this point in history, preserving one 's legacy was a very important task to undertake. It was on the mind of most every notable Roman. Whether it was through great acts committed in the name of Rome or through great works of literature, everyone wanted to be remembered far down the line. What we see in Catullus ' “Poem 1” is this notion of eternal preservation. Catullus says that he will give his new collection to Cornelius and that he hopes that, “for the sake of its patron may it survive a century or better.” This shows the Roman preoccupation with the preservation of their legacy. Catullus ' poem may also show the Roman idea of amicitia, or friendship. In Rome, friendship could be an actual friendship, where those involved have a sort of admiration and respect for each other, or a circle of favors where one Roman would do a favor



Cited: Catullus. The Poems of Catullus Trans. Charles Martin. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 1979. Print. Cicero. Cicero 's Letters to Friends Letters 41-45

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Catullus Poem 7

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In poem five Catullus wrote an invitation to his girlfriend Clodia, who he addresses as Lesbia to hide her true identity. This is because Clodia is older than him and she is married. He asks her to join him in a life of love. We can then assume that after reading this poem Lesbia asks the question “how many kisses?” Because Catullus, in poem seven, responds to Lesbia’s question and uses many similes to show how much they would love each other. The readers can therefore see a thematic connection between poem five and seven based on the poems’ content, diction, and structure. Catullus creates two poems, which show his immense love and affection for his girlfriend, Clodia.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    After a century of civil wars and wide-spread fear and chaos, a new and promising leader arose, who, despite his comparably humble origins was soon to be called Augustus, the revered one, by the Senators. This once, dominant body placed hope in this single man and bestowed numerable honours upon him, concentrating the power of patronage and promotion through which he eventually outranked all the other Senators in the state.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ancient historian Suetonius was born in the year AD 69, when his father, a Roman knight, served as a colonel in a regular legion and took part in the Battle of Baetricum. From the letters of Suetonius's close friend Pliny the Younger we learn that he practiced briefly at the bar, avoided political life, and became chief secretary to the Emperor Hadrian. The historian Spartianus records that he was one of several Palace officials, including the Guards Commander, whom Hadrian, when he returned from Britain, dismissed for behaving indiscreetly with the Empress Sabina. Suetonius lived a great life as a historian and biographer and wrote many books. The titles of his books are recorded as follows: The Twelve Caesars; Royal Biographies; Lives of Famous Whores; Roman Manners and Customs; The Roman Year; Roman Festivals; Roman Dress; Greek Games; Offices of State; Cicero's Republic; The Physical Defects of Mankind; Methods of Reckoning Time; An Essay on Nature; Greek Objurgations; Grammatical Problems; Critical Signs Used in Books. The only present book is The Twelve Caesars, the most fascinating and richest of all Latin histories. As Suetonius lived his life he became a very well known historian and biographer to the roman world. Although Suetonius had many great books of worth, the only one available to us today is The Twelve Caesars. In this essay an effort will be made to discuss the literary strengths and weaknesses of Suetonius in his book, The Twelve Caesars.…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Coriolanus, Shakespeare to a full extent questions the value of the Roman warrior code and sees the difficulties that it causes. Firstly I discuss the warrior code that is valued and held in Rome. Secondly I analyze Coriolanus inability to infringe the warrior code entirely. Thirdly I explore the consequences this has on Roman society.…

    • 422 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Arndrayla Etame English 10 H LeMaster, Per. 5 17 September 2014 The Roman Empire I. The Roman Empire a. The Roman Empire was both a place of “mixed sophistication and brutality” because it “could suddenly lurch from civilization, strength, and power to terror, tyranny, and greed.”…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Are We Rome Book Review

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In the ancient world, to join the Roman Legion, one had to speak and write Latin. The military, with bases and forts around the world, spread its influence not so much during battles, but by spending money in the local restaurants, marrying the local women, and bringing back bits and pieces of the places they lived for so long to their home cities in their retirement. It 's not just the soldiers themselves. It 's the entire structure and environment of the whole military family that spreads the culture of the empire around the…

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    To His Coy Mistress

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The poems "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell and "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick exemplify youth, modesty and resistance. The topic of both poems indicates the negative consequences that can occur if one is hesitant to enjoy his or her youth; furthermore, each author expresses in words how youth is the prime of ones life, and only lasts for a small amount of time. Each piece differentiates in certain ways, while certain qualities are shared. Some ways in which these poems compare and contrast are the speaker, the tone and particular symbols. The authors write similarly due to the fact that they existed during the time era of the 1600 's, yet their writing differs in style.…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the old days, the Roman empire was the greatest empire in the whole Eurasia. It was strong both economically and politically; however, it fell like many empires that existed before. In my opinion, the causes of the fall of the Roman empire appeared as early as the third century. The first cause was the threat of the barbarians, afterwards the maintenance of the court, then the administration which led to the increase of the expenses of the Roman Empire.…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Faux Friendship

    • 1316 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In his article, William Deresiewicz describes how society views friendship has changed from the way it was perceived in earlier times. He utilizes known relationships between Achillies and Patroclus, Nisus and Euryalus, and Damon and Pythias to support his thoughts on friendship during earlier times. Each of them protected their friends and refused to live without them. Each demonstrated a bond of trust and loyalty to their friend. Achillies seeked out revenge to honor his friend Patroculus, who died wearing Achillies armor in battle as a tribute to their friendship. Nisus and Euryalus were an inseparable pair that served under Aeneas in the Aeneid. The bond of loyalty, devotion, and sacrifice between these two men was shared through many of their experiences. It is one particular obstacle that stands out between dear friends. In this…

    • 1316 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The image that Gaius Octavius Thurinus, Gaius Julius Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, the same man one and all, wanted to portray in his book, the Res Gestae, was one of a patriotic, religious, lawful, chosen by both the senate and the citizens of Rome, modest, generous, independent, benevolent, successful leader, worldly recognised and travelled Roman citizen. Augustus wanted to portray himself as the ideal Roman, one to look up to, one to be a pillar of the old ways and customs. He wanted to be the Pater Patriae, or “Father of the country.” He succeeded, by viewing the writings in his book, indeed portray himself as an ideal Roman for the rest of the world to see.…

    • 1329 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ovid or Publius Ovidius Naso was a Roman philosopher known for his work titled Metamorphoses. In this book, he created numerous amounts of poetry containing characters from different eras. Some of the characters used are either fictional, mythological, or real world figures. His poems give readers a series of emotions making them judge their lives. Ovid writes his poems with careful precision. He romanticizes his poems in the hopes of displaying a clear message to the reader. In this collection of poems, translated by Rolfe Humphries, readers can observe that Ovid is trying to teach lessons that should be considered in their everyday lives.…

    • 1022 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Aeneid Analysis

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Roman nation 's origins are very pedestrian in comparison to Virgil 's poem. The Romans were governed by the Etruscan nation between 750 BC and 250 BC (Time Maps, 2012). The Etruscan governing and belief system is the foundation of Roman society but they differ slightly. The Etruscan government began as a monarchy but eventually switched into a oligarchy-democracy. During the reign of the Etruscan monarchy, women or a Queen could declare a Kings ruler-ship. In the Etruscan society there was a balance of power between men and women. Romans and Greeks living in Southern Italy deplored this notion of equality of the sexes. Early Rome and Etruria were influenced by the Greeks colonizing Sicily and southern Italy. The Greeks had set the standards for culture, trading and governing. As Etruscan rule declined, the Roman peoples influence began to increase, as well as the occurrences of war. Virgil 's poem conveys that the Roman nation was destined by the Gods to become a powerful empire (Kishlansky, Geary, O 'Brien, 2008). " haughty Juno 's unrelenting hate, Expell 'd and exil 'd, left the Trojan shore. Long labors, both by sea and land, he bore, And in the doubtful war, before he won The Latian realm, and built the destin 'd town.. (Virgil, 19 B.C.E) " The poem does convey that Rome has been through a lot of strife but their story is not their own.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of Lucretia and her subsequent tragedy is a reflection on women’s position in Roman society and how they were treated. This story both offers some historical context to the modern Latin learner but also teaches a very valuable lesson. While many women were seen as less than men during this time period, Livy’s description of Lucretia’s rape and Brutus’s plan to avenge her honor offers a different perspective. As an artistic representation of this piece, Botticelli’s The Tragedy of Lucretia is a remarkably poignant and powerful painting which depicts Brutus’s attempt to rally the men after Lucretia’s death.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There is much evidence underlining the political intentions veiled within Virgil’s Aeneid. From a historical context, a period of constant civil strife plagued Rome for nearly half a century, bringing forth the need to establish stability and calm the hostile attitude of Rome’s grief-stricken people. Due to an influx of Greek influence, the progression of time led to an “emphasis on the individual” (Beall 60). Whereas “the glories of the Roman state” had, in the past, been celebrated by the Roman people, “a stoic philosophy” encroached upon society engaging them instead with individual triumphs and ambitions. Augustus, the founder and first Emperor of the Roman Empire, launched many attempts to reclaim a strong “Roman patriotism” (Beall 59), one of which being to employ the assistance of Virgil in launching his Augustan propaganda. Within his efforts, Emperor August “took it upon himself... [to restore] feelings of nationalisms” (Beall 62) within his people. Perhaps one of its most influential results came Virgil’s Aeneid. Its emphasis on the pious nature of the “national epic” (Hardie 4) hero worked to usher in a new “sentiments” (Beall 63) of a golden age of peace as Rome’s people followed in the footsteps of their devoted, sacrificing Aeneas whose presence very much mimicked that of…

    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    This unity was particularly important in the face of the diversity of the fledgling empire. Aspiring to the ideals of the imperial family, freedmen were particularly eager to imitate Augustan semblance as a way of blending in with their Roman peers.3 The funerary reliefs of these individuals, similar to that of Lucius Vibius’ family, mimic the styles found on the emperor’s Ara Pacis.4 Thus, “internationalism became nationalism,” and the diversity of the empire hardened into a concrete, “collective Roman identity.”5…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays