Readings from the literature of Ancient Rome in English translations . the plains of Italy. All theRoman armies marching north to fight in France againstthe Gauls used to halt at Verona, and Julius Caesar, theRoman general in France from 58 to 49 , was afriend of Catullus father and often stayed at his home. Being of good family and education Catullus earlyenterfed fashionable society at Rome. He belonged to acircle of young men who were deeply immersed both inpoetry and pohtics. When he was about twenty-five hefell deeply in love with a lady well known in Romansociety, seven years ol
Readings from the literature of Ancient Rome in English translations . the plains of Italy. All theRoman armies marching north to fight in France againstthe Gauls used to halt at Verona, and Julius Caesar, theRoman general in France from 58 to 49 , was afriend of Catullus father and often stayed at his home. Being of good family and education Catullus earlyenterfed fashionable society at Rome. He belonged to acircle of young men who were deeply immersed both inpoetry and pohtics. When he was about twenty-five hefell deeply in love with a lady well known in Romansociety, seven years older than himself; he calls her Lesbia in his poems. After many quarrels and recon-ciliations she finally cast him off, and Catullus sought apost on the staff of the governor-general of Bithynia(modern Turkey-in-Asia), a new protectorate, which hadjust been taken over by the Roman RepubUc. It was notonly his unhappy love-affair which made Catullus anxiousto leave Rome for a time ; his gay life in the capital cityhad emptied his purse, as he said, of all but The ruin where the purple flowers grow The remains of the \illa of Catullus Photo Alinari CATULLUS 95 However, he did not manage to fill it in Bithynia and,being tired of Asia, he came back to his darling villa atSirmio in the year 56 While he was away he hadbeen able to visit the grave of his dearly loved youngerbrother, who had died abroad and was buried near theDardanelles. A few years later Catullus died himself,aged about thirty, leaving poems behind him whichplace him among the great lyric poets of the world. Young and passionate, a strong lover and a good hater,Catullus poured forth in poetry the story of his heart;in simple and direct language he sings of love and friend-ship, life and death ; nor does he hesitate to write of thetrivial events of everyday life ; he has the fierce intoler-ance of youth combined with a gentleness and pity forall helpless and beautiful things which have earned forhim Tenny
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