Catullus 64 Scansion

Example of Ekphrasis

Pierre was in an elevator in the Eiffel Tower whose cords had broken loose, so he was plummeting to his death. In his hand he held a sub from Subway, which he wished to finish before death. Subway had weird commercials, usually involving this sketchy guy named Jared who lost an impossibly large amount of weight. Jared usually wore glasses, just like Pierre's father when driving along the country during his long summer in Jakarta. Along the way, Pierre would read newspapers, often with pictures of catastrophic events, like the tsunami in Japan. At that same point in time, Jae Yang was surfing the tsunami in Japan, when he fell in the water. As he was being thrown around, he spotted a flyer for a free car wash at Honest Joe's. Honest Joe was currently in the United States, performing some sketchy business involving using cardboard for the brakes in his vehicles. One of those piece of cardboard came from Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart's logo of a smiley face flying around the store was so unrealistic. Often people were not even happy in those stores. Who really wants a NERF gun anyway? Perhaps to wage a war, like the epic Battle of Mount Small Hill, during which Nerfchilles overtook the Nerftrojans. Nerfchilles actually devised a way of entering Nerftroy, by using a large wooden horse and presenting it as a gift. This horse was reminiscent of those used on the board game Risk, where infantry, cavalry, and canons wage war, trying to conquer the world, based on the roll of dice. Dice were also involved in James' epic Monopoly game, in which in created a chance card that killed all other players, and the other players believed it. Pierre, too, believed that his death was imminent, and so, with lettuce from the sub spewing from his mouth screamed "MONOPOLY!!!" as the elevator hit the ground.

Hate & Insult

Catullus knows that a lot of the time, witty remarks and spiteful words are more powerful than physical fighting, and so this is why people never hear about Catullus being in a fistfight, but often hear about his invectives, like Catullus 37 and 39. Catullus wishes to cut deeply and permanently, to leave scars that can't be seen by the eye.  And not only does he do this to the face of those he dislikes, but he writes of it, so posterity knows of these disgraceful people. Catullus wishes to inflict emotional pain, not physical pain, to really hurt those he dislikes. He does this because he knows this will do longer lasting, more widespread damage, not only to the person, but to their reputation.

In  Catullus 37 and 39, he displays his anger towards a group of men gloating about their sexual exploits. Catullus does not do this by calling them everyday names, but finds much more creative ways to insult them. In Catullus 37, he does this in multiple ways, one being that he tells the group of men to sit in a line and he will have all of them blow him (Cat 37.6-8). He then threatens to draw penises all over their tavern (Cat 37.9-10), and criticizes the men for gloating about sleeping with his beloved Lesbia. In Catullus 39, he singles out Egnatius, who was a part of the group of men from 37, and further tears him apart, saying that "Whatever is going on, wherever he is, whatever may happen, he grins," even if the occasion is in court or at a funeral (Cat 39.6-7). Catullus then states that the higher the polish on Egnatius' teeth, the higher it shows that Egnatius drinks his own piss (Cat 39.20-21).

Both 37 and 39 use the same meter, and both are invectives of Catullus. They are both meant to attack, insult, and degrade the subjects of the poem. Both also start out by addressing the recipient(s) of the insults, whether it be the lecherous tavern and its companions (Cat 37.1) or Egnatius and his bright teeth (Cat 39.1). They both also end by stating that Egnatius drinks his own "urina" (Cat 37.20) or "loti" (Cat 39.21). In 39, Catullus repeatedly uses "aut" (Cat 39.10-14) to show a stream of consciousness, because he is building up to the end, getting more and more intense.

Catullus artfully uses connotations in his poetry to further his point, and uses them to add greater bite to his invectives. The word that stands out the most in both 37 and 39 is urine. It only appears in line 20 of 37, and in line 21 of 39. Urine implies all of the dirty, disgusting, unclean, things not worthy of use, and yet Egnatius is shown to use it daily to polish his teeth. This is just another way Catullus personally insults Egnatius.

Catullus picks some interesting symbols in his poems, and in 37 and 39, his chief symbol is Egnatius himself (Cat 37.17 + Cat 39.1). Egnatius represents all the terrible, lowly, gossiping lowlifes who find pleasure in others' failures. Catullus is not only attacking Egnatius, then, but what Egnatius represents, knowing that his words will do more damage than simple brawling. The Celtiberians (Cat 37.18 + Cat 39.17) are also a symbol, representing old, barbaric ways, and so Catullus also insults Egnatius' people. Catullus will not stop in his assault of Egnatius, degrading all that he comes from, is, and represents.

Catullus 37 only alludes to the Celtiberians and Spain (Cat 37.18+20, respectively). Catullus 39 alludes to the Sabines, Tibur, the Etruscans, Umbria, Lanuvium, and the Celtiberians (Cat 39.10+10+11+11+12+17). Catullus repeatedly alludes to more primitive, less developed peoples to equate to Egnatius. Catullus relentlessly assails Egnatius and his background, making his onslaught as personal as possible. Catullus will not let up in trying to hurt Egnatius on the inside, and in these intense actions shows he cares a lot more about hurting internally than externally.

Catullus uses the same meter in both poems, and starts and ends them in a similar fashion. There are obviously strong connections between these invectives, because Catullus wishes for everyone to know of disgraceful Egnatius. Catullus seems to be much more emotional in his own attacks in 37. In contrast, he seems to be much more rational in his approach in poem 39. Catullus is showing that in any state of mind, Egnatius is not a nice guy.

Catullus unleashes a volley of insults in such aggression that his passion for language and its power is clear. Catullus clearly realizes that his talent is to hate and insult verbally, all the while knowing this will have a greater effect on Egnatius. Catullus'  belligerence in his poetry is his substitute for an physical confrontation, because Catullus is far more cunning than that. Catullus wishes to cut deep and permanent, and this offensive launched against Egnatius in his poetry proves it. And one last piece of evidence to prove this: the full damage is still not done, because Catullus' attacks on Egnatius have lived on for generations, and will live on for more, so that Egnatius will be ridiculed and laughed at even farther into the future.

Catullus 39 Translation

Egnatius, who has bright teeth,

Shines always everywhere. If he comes to court

When the speaker excited crying,

That man grins; If at the funeral pyre where one mourns a

Devoted son, at the time a bereft mother weeps for her only son,

That man grins.  Whatever is going on, wherever he is,

Whatever may happen, he grins: This man has a vice,

Neither elegant, as I think, nor courteous.

Therefore, you heed my advise, good Egnatius.

If you are from the city or Sabine or Tibur

Or a stupid Umbrian or a fat Etruscan

Or  a dark and toothed Lanuvian

Or Transpadine, to mention briefly my own,

Or whoever of those who cleanly wash their teeth,

Yet I wish you not to grin always and everywhere:

For no thing is more foolish than foolish laughter.

Now you are a Celtiberian: In the Celtiberian land,

Everybody is in the habit of pissing in the morning

And scouring their teeth and red gums with it,

In order that the higher the polish is on your teeth,

The greater this might proclaim that you have drunk your piss

Catullus 39 Verbs, Proper Nouns, Relative Clauses, Five Literary Devices

VERBS

Habet- 3rd person singular present active indicative form of habere- to have

Renidet- 3rd person singular present active indicative form of renidere- to shine, glow, shine through

Excitat- 3rd person singular present active indicative form of excitare- to wake up, stir

Lugetur- 3rd person singular present passive indicative form of lugere- to mourn, grieve

Agit- 3rd person singular present active indicative form of agere- to drive

Arbitror- 1st person singular present passive indicative of "arbitrare" meaning "to think"

Esses- second person singular imperfect active subjunctive of "esse" meaning "to be"

Attingam- 1st person singular present active subjunctive of attingere" meaning "to touch"

Libet- 3rd person singular present active subjunctive of "libere" meaning "it pleases"

Lavit- 3rd person singular perfect active indicative of "lavere" meaning "to wash”

Renidere-present active infinitive meaning "to shine"

Ineptior-1st person singular present passive indicative of "ineptire" meaning "to play the fool"

Est-3rd person singular present active indicative of "esse" meaning "to  be"

Es- 2nd person singular present active indicative of "esse" meaning "to be"

Minxit- 3rd person singular perfect active indicative of "mingere" meaning "to urinate"

Solet-3rd person singular present active indicative of "solere" meaning "to be in the habit of"

Defricare- present active indicative meaning "to rub hard"

Est-3rd person singular present active indicative of "esse" meaning "to be"

Praedicet-3rd person singular present active subjunctive of "praedicare" meaning "to proclaim"

PROPER NOUNS

Egnatius-A proper Roman name of one of Spanish origin who cleans his teeth with urine (according to Catullus)

Sabinus-Referring to the Sabines, an Italic tribe who lived in Latium prior to the founding of Rome

Tiburs-Referring to Tibur, a Sabine city in Etruscan times

Etruscus-The Etruscan civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany.

Umber-Umbria is a region of modern central Italy

Lanuuinus-Lanuvium is an ancient city of Latium

Transpadanus-Beyond the Po River, the longest river in Italy.

Celtiber-The Celtiberians were a Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group originated when Celts from Gaul migrated and integrated with the local pre-Indo-European populations

RELATIVE CLAUSES

"quod  candidos habet dentes" (Cat 39.1)

"orba cum flet unicum mater" (Cat 39.5)

"quidquid est" (Cat 39.6)

"quodcumque agit" (Cat 39.7)

"qui puriter lavuit dentes" (Cat 39.14)

"quod quisque minxit" (Cat 39.18)

FIVE LITERARY DEVICES

Alliteration-"hunc habet" (Cat 39.7)

Allusion-"Sabinus" (Cat. 39.10)

Assonance-"vester expolitior dens est" (Cat 39.20)

Hyperbole-"nam risu inepto res ineptior nulla est" (Cat 39.16)

Repetition-"renidet" (Cat 39.2,4,6,7,15)

Verbs from Catullus 39

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1BcnZdUtNGDixnolC8J4YGrKxufSM-QEaCcxhSRckTv8

Catullus 37-Verb Quiz

SALAX taberna uosque contubernales,
a pilleatis nona fratribus pila,
solis putatis esse mentulas uobis,
solis licere, quidquid est puellarum,
confutuere et putare ceteros hircos?
an, continenter quod sedetis insulsi
centum an ducenti, non putatis ausurum
me una ducentos irrumare sessores?
atqui putate: namque totius uobis
frontem tabernae sopionibus scribam.
puella nam mi, quae meo sinu fugit,
amata tantum quantum amabitur nulla,
pro qua mihi sunt magna bella pugnata,
consedit istic. hanc boni beatique
omnes amatis, et quidem, quod indignum est,
omnes pusilli et semitarii moechi;
tu praeter omnes une de capillatis,
cuniculosae Celtiberiae fili,
Egnati. opaca quem bonum facit barba
et dens Hibera defricatus urina.


esse-present active infinitive meaning "to be"
licere-present active infinitive meaning "to bid on"
est-3rd person singular present active indicative of "esse" meaning "to be"
confutuere-present active infinitive meaning "to have sex with a woman"
putare-present active infinitive meaning "to think"
sedetis-2nd person singular present active indicative of "sedere" meaning "to sit"

Catullus 10-First Ten Lines (Revised)

My Varus lead me at leisure away from

the forum to pay a visit to his lover,

 little whore, as it had seemed then to me immediately,

certainly not uncharming and neither unattractive.

As we came to this point, we fell into

various conversations, among which, how was

Bithynia now, how its affairs were holding,

and whether I had made any money there.

I answered her which was, that neither ourselves

nor the praetors  nor their cohort had...

First Five Lines of Catullus 37

Lecherous tavern and you companions,

At the ninth squared pillar from the felt cap brothers,

Are you believing that you alone have a male sex organ,

You alone to bid for whatever is maidenly

To have sex with, and to think the rest are male goats?

Catullus 37 Parsed Verbs

Esse- present active infinitive meaning "to be"
Licere- present active infinitive meaning "to fetch"
Est- 3rd person singular perfect passive indicative of "esse" meaning "to be"
Sunt- third person plural present active indicative form of "esse" meaning "to be"
Pugnata- perfect passive participle of "pugnare" meaning "to fight"
Consedit- third person singular perfect active indicative of "considere" meaning "to sit down, hold sessions"
Beati- perfect passive participle of "beare" meaning "to bless"
Confutuere-2nd person singular present passive subjunctive of "confutuare" meaning "to have sexual intercourse with a woman"
Putare- present active infinitive of "putare" meaning "to think"
Sedetis-2nd plural present active indicative of "sedere" meaning "to sit"
Amatis- 2nd person plural present active indicative of "amare" meaning "to love"
Indignum est- 3rd person singular perfect passive of "indignare" meaning "to scorn"
fugit - 3rd person singular present active indicative of "fugere" meaning "to flee"
amabitur - 3rd person singular future passive indicative of "amare" meaning "to love"
Putatis- 2nd person plural present active indicative of "putare" meaning "to think"
Irrumare - present active infinitive meaning "to abuse"
Facit- 3rd person singular present active indicative of "facere" meaning "to make"
Opaca- 2nd person singular present active imperative of "opacare" meaning "to shade"

Hendecasyllabic Scansion

Five Literary Devices Found in Catullus 12

1. Alliteration-"miserunt mihi muneri" (Carm. 12.15)
2. Hyperbole-Catullus makes a large deal of taking napkins, even calling Asinius a fool ("inepte"-Carm. 12.4)
3. Rhetorical question-"Hoc salsum esse putas?" (Carm. 12.4)
4. Metonymy-"hendecasyllabos trecentos" to mean many of his poems or many lines of his poems(Carm. 12.10)
5. Allusion-to both "Fabullus et Veranius" (Carm. 12.15-16)