Catullus 14 Flashcards
comites Catulli
companions of Catullus
Alliteration of shows how close these friends of catullus are
sive in extremos penetrabit Indos litus ut longe resonate Eoa tunditur unda sive in Hycanos Arabesve molles seu Sagas sagittiferosve Parthos, sive que septemgeminus colorat aequora Nilus
even if he will enter the distant parts of indian lands, where the shore is beaten by the Eastern wave thundering far or if he will enter amongst the Hyricanians or soft Arabs or the Sacae of the arrow-carrying Parthians, or the plains which the seven-mouthed Nile dyes
Catullus speaks in third person. People often think travel is a good wat of trying to forget some unhappy experience and this seems to be the case with Catullus. Later in the poem he is clearly saying farewell to Lesbia; his affair has been unhappy for him and perhaps he wants to get away from it all- he thinks of places he might go to.
Eoa unda
Eastern waves
the part of the ocean
Hyrcanos
The Hyrcani were a tribe on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. The Romans knew of India, but would not have had a lot of direct contact. It would mark the eastern extremity of their world
Arabesve molles
soft Arabs
Arabs and easterners generally were usually thought of to be soft of effeminate in Roman eyes
Sagas
Sacae
A tribe on the steppes of southern Russia. Now we come closer to the Roman empire
sagittiferos Parthos
the arrow-carrying Parthians
The Romans had had a recent war with the Parthians, who had conquered much of Persia. They were famous for firing arrows from horseback
septigeminus Nilus
seven-mouthed Nile
Referring to the Nile’s seven mouths represents egypt
sive trans altas gradietur Alpes Caesaris visens monimenta magni Gallicum Rhenum horribiles aequor ulti mosque Britannos
if he will step across the high alps viewing the memorials of great Caesar, the Gallic Rheine, the water and most distant terrifying Britons
atullus now takes us west acreoss the lofty Alps to where julius Ceasar was winning battles in his conquering of Gaul. Caesar had built a bridge and cross the Rhine at one sage and invaded Britain
horribile aequore
terrifying water
The english channel, which had caused Caesar some trouble
pauca nuntiate meae puellae non bona dicta
tell a few things not said kindly to my girl
He wants F+A to break bad news to Lesbia
penetrabit
he will enter
long drawn out verb emphasises the lengths that his friends would go for him
vivat valeatque
Let her live and thrive
in another poem Catullus had said “vivamus atque amemus”- let us live and love:there he was encoraging Lebia to make the most of her life and their affair Here his tone is bitte- he wishes her far from a happy life here with her other lovers
nec meum respectet, ut ante, amorem
let her not look back on my love as before
moechis
adulteres
an insulting term referring to her other many lovers. Continues the bitter tone
