The Poems of Catullus

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Catullus (c. 84—54 B.C.), best remembered for his tempestuous relationship with the notorious Clodia Metelli, was one of the most influential, original and enigmatic of all the Roman poets. The spearhead of a new poetic movement in the late republic, Catullus wrote verse whose direct and passionate language often cloaked a complex personality and a gift for synthesizing the earlier traditions of Roman poetry, and in particular for introducing a startling powerful force into the recently developed love epigram. A master of colloquial language and of grandeur heightened by realism, and a poet with astute psychological perception, he was above all a lyricist and one whose unique style is captured well in this lively and sympathetic translation.