Poem 13: Analysis

Question 1

quaeris, quot mihi bastiationes tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque. (Line1-2)

Answer 1

Lines 1-2: opening Q immediately indicates main topic of poem: kisses

• ‘q, q, q, s, s, s’ - alliteration of ‘q’ & ‘s’ imitates kissing sounds
• ‘bastiationes’ - mock pompous tone - kissifications
• ‘tuae’ - word choice, Lesbia giving kisses to him, subverts Roman erotic world where female was object & male subject - made himself object
• ‘sint satis superque’ - alliteration of ‘s’ (style)

Question 2

quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis (line 3-4)

Answer 2

Lines 3-6: comparison 1 - as many as the grains of sand in the Libyan desert (first infinity image)

• ‘quam magnus numerus’ - both similes pick up (mockingly) on the Alexandrian habit of showing off knowledge
• ‘lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis’ - Cyrene was Ancient Greek then later Roman city, paying tribute to Greek poet Callimachus (came from Cyrene)
  - part of Catullus’ sophisticated poetic game
  - by displaying this knowledge Cat also flattering Lesbia, expecting her to be sophisticated enough to to catch his references
  - silphium was thought to have contraceptive properties (v suggestive of Cat)

Question 3

oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum (line 5-6)

Answer 3

Continuing comparison 1:

• the oracle of Jupiter was at Temple of Amon , v famous
• Jupiter famous for affairs & prowess as a lover, v appropriate for this poem
• ‘aestuosi’ - ‘sultry/heat’ - appropriate double meaning of Cat’s passion - hot in desert but also passion
• ‘Batti’ - founder of Cyrene, worshipped at shrine centre of city - ancestor to Callimachus - Battus’ tomb surrounded by lots of sand
• ‘aestuosi… Iovis’ - hyperbaton, separation of noun & adjective

Question 4

aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox, furtivos hominum vident amores: (line7-8)

Answer 4

Lines 7-8: comparison 2 - as many as the stars in the sky, 2nd image of infinity (stars)

• ‘aut quam sidera multa’ - stars provide another romantic simile for sheer numbers.
  - Also stars doubly appropriate as night is often the time when lovers would get an opportunity to meet
  - stars suggest his love is eternal
• ‘furtivos’ - ‘secret’ - hint at illicit nature of Catullus & Lesbia’s love - she’s married?
• ‘amores’ - simile of stars v appropriate for lovers, there are many at night. Emphatic positon of word emphasises there love
  - hyperbaton ‘furtivos… amores’ - separation of the words emphasises the illicit nature of their love

Question 5

tam te basia multa basiare vesano satis et super Catullo est. (Line 9-10)

Answer 5

Lines 9-12: rounds of poem by returning to beginning of poem - no. of kisses (justification of infinity)

• ‘tam’ - Lesbia is doing the kissing, her being in charge? Switching of norms
• ‘basia.. basiare’ - repetition (anaphora) of kiss words, picking up on earlier ‘basantiones’. He has reverted to being the kisser, after Lesbia was given the active role before.
• ‘vesano’ - Catullus mad with love, worrying? Too keen (desperate)? Traditional image? Less person than ‘mihi’ in line 1
• this idea is continued by chiasmus of line 10 and hyperbaton and the idea that Catullus is driven mad by his love

Question 6

quae nec pernumerare curiosi possint nec mala fascinare lingua. (line 11-12)

Answer 6

• ‘curiosi’ - Cat is worried about ‘busybodies’ interfering in their love affair specifically that they might count the exact no. of kisses & use this fact to cast spell on them. Not even they could punt the number of infinity ‘quae nec pernumerare’
• ‘fascinare’ - people vulnerable to curses - fascina at moments of great happiness, but specific info needed.