The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/49
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Contents |
[edit] Text & Translation
| Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disertissime Romuli nepotum, | Most skilled in speech of the descendants of Romulus, |
| 2 | quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli, | all who are, and all who have been, Marcus Tullius, |
| 3 | quotque post aliis erunt in annis, | and however many there will be in other years, |
| 4 | gratias tibi maximas Catullus | to you, Catullus gives the greatest thanks |
| 5 | agit, pessimus omnium poeta, | the worst of all poets, |
| 6 | tanto pessimus omnium poeta | as much the worst of all poets |
| 7 | quanto tu optimus omnium patronus. | as you are the best defender of all. |
[edit] Connotations Of The Text
Catullus knew Cicero and greatly admired him.
[edit] Line 2
- fuere
read as "fuerunt". The Romans sometimes left the end off of the 3rd person plural of a verb to make it look like an infinitive. This was usually done to fit in with the meter of the poem.
- Marce Tulli - Marcus Tullius (a.k.a. Cicero)
This is a very formal way of addressing Cicero, his patron. It serves to further contrast humble Catullus with mighty Cicero.
[edit] Lines 5-7
- pessimus omnium poeta - worst of all poets
The anaphora in these two lines emphasises Catullus' point - it could also add an air of sarcasm and hyperbole within the poem.
- omnium - all
This is repeated three times, and creates a juxtapostition within the poem - i.e. Catullus is the worst of all the poets, and Cicero is the best of all the patrons.
[edit] Vocabulary
[edit] Line 3
- aliis (Abl. Pl.) - other; alternate
[edit] Line 5
- omnium, omnia - all; everyone
[edit] External Links
- Catullus 49 A Translation of Catullus 49
- Catullus 49 Another Translation of Catullus 49
