Catullus - story - disuxwion Catullus (c. 80-50 BC) was from a well-to-do family and he moved in the highest levels of aristocratic Roman society. He was highly educated and knew thoroughly the works of the Greek poets writing from the 7th century BC down through the Hellenistic Period. He also sought to demonstrate that he could take them one better. As a result his poetry is highly polished and very carefully constructed. He also drew on a Roman tradition of satire and personal invective, which often used obscene motifs and themes. What is the subject matter of his poems? Who seems to have the upper hand, Catullus or Lesbia? What viewpoint do his poems reveal – who’s usually the speaker?

Catullus - story - disuxwion Catullus (c. 80-50 BC) was from a well-to-do family and he moved in the highest levels of aristocratic Roman society. He was highly educated and knew thoroughly the works of the Greek poets writing from the 7th century BC down through the Hellenistic Period. He also sought to demonstrate that he could take them one better. As a result his poetry is highly polished and very carefully constructed. He also drew on a Roman tradition of satire and personal invective, which often used obscene motifs and themes. What is the subject matter of his poems? Who seems to have the upper hand, Catullus or Lesbia? What viewpoint do his poems reveal – who’s usually the speaker?