Catullus Poem 86 Notes

Question 1

How is Quintia compared to Lesbia?

Answer 1

Unfavourably

Question 2

How is Quintia’s compared unfavourably to Lesbia?

Answer 2

She is attractive but not in the same league as Lesbia

Question 3

What is the aim of this poem?

Answer 3

To praise Lesbia

Question 4

Which word holds the poem together and dictates the argument?

Answer 4

‘Formosa’

Question 5

Line 5 answers which line closely?

Answer 5

Line 1

Question 6

How does Catullus distance himself from the masses?

Answer 6

Placing ‘multis mihi’ next to each other

Question 7

What do the adjectives show?

Answer 7

What counted precisely for female beauty

Question 8

What does he mean by ‘candida’?

Answer 8

Being pale was a positive attribute as you were not browned by the sun as slaves were or the lower class

Question 9

Did Romans prefer short or tall girls?

Answer 9

Tall

Question 10

What did Ovid attribute tallness to?

Answer 10

Goddesses and heroines

Question 11

What does ‘recta’ show?

Answer 11

The importance of deportment

Question 12

Why does Quintia lack charm?

Answer 12

Lesbia has stolen it all

Question 13

What is the contrast with salt?

Answer 13

The size of girl and amount of grains of salt

Question 14

Which word is emphatic on the last line?

Answer 14

‘Veneres’

Question 15

How is ‘veneres’ intensified?

Answer 15

Omnibus una omnes

Question 16

What could ‘veneres’ mean?

Answer 16

All qualities of Venus which give sexual attraction or the other men’s penises she has stolen (aka not so complimentary of Lesbia) - casts ironic doubt

Question 17

The salt is…

Answer 17

A Roman punt and a representation of intellectual capacity

Question 18

What does Catullus say about Quintia?

Answer 18

Individually she has good points but overall she is bad

Question 19

What is the symmetry of Venusta showing?

Answer 19

One doesn’t have Venus qualities, the other does

Question 20

What is the idea behind the last ‘Veneres’?

Answer 20

She is equal to Venus

Question 21

Why is part of it not grammatically correct?

Answer 21

Neuter and feminine endings do not agree

Question 22

How is the poem cyclical?

Answer 22

Relates to everyone, then Lesbia, then everyone

Question 23

What is the difference between the ‘totum’ and ‘tota’?

Answer 23

Totum denies all but tota accepts all and likes all