e tenebris tantis tam clarum extollere lumen · web viewunit outcomes at the end of this unit you...

Catullus and Lesbia

Catullus and LesbiaYear 10 Extension, 2007

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Unit Outcomes

At the end of this unit you will be able to:

read, analyse and evaluate extracts of original Latin(Syllabus outcome 5.UL.4)

demonstrate advanced skills in translating(Syllabus outcome 5.UL.5)

engage in discussion about linguistic issues(Syllabus outcome 5.MLC.3)

analyse the ways in which language can be manipulated for particular effect(Syllabus outcome 5.MLC.4)

Assessment

For your assessment you will be required to:

discuss the themes of Catullus’ poetry

identify and explain stylistic features in Catullus’ poetry

translate extracts from set Catullus poems

Your assessment will involve two parts:

A five minute presentation to the class on how the themes of Catullus’ poetry are portrayed in today’s culture (see pages 22-3)

A class test, involving translation and discussion of Catullus’ poems

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Catullus and Lesbia

The first century BC was an exciting time at Rome. The recent rapid expansion of the republic had brought many changes to Roman society. Many Roman aristocrats had become extremely wealthy through war, and the traditional Roman values of frugality and moderation were giving way to luxury and decadence. What’s more Rome was becoming increasingly multicultural, and the new migrants brought with them new art, new literature and, perhaps most importantly, new values. Traditional Roman society had been quite strict and conservative, but with the influx of money and new ideas these values were giving way to more relaxed attitudes, particularly in regard to love and sex.

It is in this context that Catullus produced some of Rome’s greatest love poetry. Previously most Roman poetry had been written in the tradition of the grand epics of Homer- The Iliad and The Odyssey. this kind of epic poetry was about gods, war, fate, mythology, and tragic heroes. Above all epic poetry was long- tens of thousands of lines- as suited its serious subject matter.

But for Catullus this kind of poetry held little attraction. Instead he was drawn to the poems written by Greek writers such as Sappho and Callimachus. These poems were much shorter than epic poetry- sometimes only a couple of lines- and dealt not with gods and war, but with real people, everyday life, and, most importantly, love.

On Catullus’ arrival in Rome in about 64 BC (from his home-town in northern Italy) he had quickly become involved with an older woman- called Clodia. Unfortunately she happened to be married, so in his poetry he refers to her by the nickname ‘Lesbia’. This name was a reference to the Greek poet Sappho who came from the island of Lesbos. By giving her this nickname, Catullus was saying that he admired not only her beauty, but her intelligence and sophistication.

From Catullus’ poetry we get the impression that he was madly in love with Clodia, though it seems she did not return his feelings with the same intense passion. Many of his poems describe not the ecstasy of love, but the pain and heartbreak he experiences as a result of their relationship.

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Love at first sight.carmen 51

Ille mi par esse deo videtur,

ille, si fas est, superare divos,

qui sedens adversus identidem te

spectat et audit

dulce ridentem; misero quod omnis 5

eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te,

Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super mi

vocis in ore,

lingua sed torpet, tenuis sub artus

flamma demanat, sonitu suopte 10

tintinant aures, gemina teguntur

lumina nocte.

Translation

That man seems to me to be equal to a god, That man, if it is right to say, seems to surpass the gods, who sitting opposite to you repeatedly looks at youand hears

your sweet laughter, something which robs miserable meof all feelings: for as soon as I lookat you, Lesbia, no voice remainsin my mouth.

But my tongue is paralyzed, a fine firespreads down through my limbs, my ears ring with theirvery own sound, my eyes are veiledin a double darkness.

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Notes

l.1 mi = mihi.

videtur: he seems.

l.2 ille; understand videtur as the verb in this clause.

superare: to overpower, or here ‘to be better than’.

l.3 adversus: opposite or across from.

sedens: present participle, ‘sitting’ or ‘as he sits’

l.5 ridentem: present participle.

omnis...sensus doesn’t look accusative plural but it is (it is a fourth declension

noun).

l.7 nihil... vocis; lit. ‘nothing of voice’ (partitive genetive), or ‘no voice’.

super mi... in ore: lit. ‘above me in my mouth’, or ‘in the top of my mouth’ (or

see if you can think of a better translation).

l.9 tenuis (gentle) describes flamma (nom sing), not artus (acc pl).

l.10 sonitu suopte is abl; translate ‘with their own sound’ (suopte is an emphatic

form of suo).

l.11 gemina (twin, double) describes nocte, not lumina.

Vocab

par: equalfas: right, proper, lawfulidentidem: repeatedlysimul: as soon aseripere (-ui): to steal fromtorpere (-): to be paralysed.artus (m, 4): limbdemanare (-): to run down, to drip downtintinare (-): ringauris (f, 3): earteguntur: are hidden

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To Lesbia, about kisses.carmen 5

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,

rumoresque senum severiorum

omnes unius aestimemus assis!

soles occidere et redire possunt:

nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux, 5

nox est perpetua una dormienda.

da mi basia mille, deinde centum,

dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,

deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.

dein, cum milia multa fecerimus, 10

conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,

aut ne quis malus invidere possit,

cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 vivamus, amemus and aestimemus are all present subjunctive. Translate as ‘let

us...’.

l.3 unius... assis; gen.case. trans ‘as worth one as’ (an as was one of the smallest

coins the Romans had)

l.4 occidere usually means to die; here, referring to the sun it means to set.

l.5 Catullus is here using lux (light) as a metaphor for life.

l.6 dormienda: trans ‘which must be slept through’

l.7 da: the imperative from do, dare

l.11 ne sciamus is a negative purpose clause. Trans ‘so that we do not know [how

many there are]’

l.12 quis malus; literally ‘someone who [is] malicious’ or ‘some malicious person’

l.13 tantum; usually means so many; here ‘how many’ (understand ‘there are’)

Vocab

severis: strict, severe

aestimare (-avi): to estimate, to reckon

semel: once

perpetuus, -a, -um:everlasting

basium (nt, 2): a kiss

usque: still

conturbare (-avi): to throw into confusion

invidere (invidi): begrudge

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How Many Kissescarmen 7

Quaeris, quot mihi basiationes

tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque.

quam magnus numerus Libyssae harenae

lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis

oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi 5

et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum;

aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox,

furtivos hominum vident amores:

tam te basia multa basiare

vesano satis et super Catullo est, 10

quae nec pernumerare curiosi

possint nec mala fascinare lingua.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 quot...basiationes tuae: how many of your kisses (basiatio = basium).

l.2 sint is present subjunctive of esse, in an indirect question. satis superque:

enough and more than enough.

l.3 quam: here translate ‘as [adjective] as the [noun] which [verb]’

l.4 lasarpiciferis... Cyrenis is abl. Translate ‘at silphium growing Cyrene’. Cyrene

was famous for its silphium (lasarpicis), an exotic herb which is now extinct.

l.5 oraclum is acc after inter.

Iovis... aestuosi is genetive.

l.6 sepulcrum is acc after inter.

Batti veteris is genetive. Battus was the first king of Cyrene. His tomb was very

famous, and about 300 miles from the Oracle of Jupiter (Jove).

l.7 quam: see line 3.

l.8 hominum is genetive plural

l.9 This whole line, depending on the infinitaive basiare is the subject of est in the

next line. Start your translation with ‘To kiss you... is...’

l.11 curiosi is an adj., meaning curious. Here there is no noun for it to describe, so

translate as ‘curious people’ or ‘busybodies’ (the ending is masc. plural).

l.12 mala... lingua is abl. Trans ‘with’.

Vocab

quaerere (quaesi): to ask

harena (f, 1): sand

aestuosus, -a, -um: sultry

furtivus, -a, -um: secret

vesanus, -a, -um: love sick

pernumerare (-avi): to add up

fascinare (-): to curse, to bewitch

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Quintia vs Lesbiacarmen 86

Quintia formosa est multis. mihi candida, longa,

recta est: haec ego sic singula confiteor.

totum illud formosa nego: nam nulla venustas,

nulla in tam magno est corpore mica salis.

Lesbia formosa est, quae cum pulcerrima tota est, 5

tum omnibus una omnis surripuit Veneres.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 candida, longa, recta: three qualities that Roman men found attractive in

women; ‘bright, tall, straight (ie not deformed)’. Can you think of a more

appropriate way of translating them?

l.2 haec...singula; ‘these individual (things)’.

l.3 totum illud; ‘in all respects’.

l.4 nulla...mica salis; ‘no grain of wit’.

l.5 cum...tum; ‘not only... but also’.

l.6 una; ‘alone’. omnibus; abl. ‘from everyone else’.

Vocab

formosus, -a, -um: beautiful

confiteor: I acknowledge

negare (-avi): to deny

venustas (f, 3): charm, grace

surripere (-ui): to steal

Veneres (f, 3): charms

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Supreme Lovecarmen 87

Nulla potest mulier tantum se dicere amatam

vere, quantum a me Lesbia amata mea est.

nulla fides ullo fuit umquam foedere tanta,

quanta in amore tuo ex parte reperta mea est.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 se... amatam; ‘that she is loved’.

tantum... quantum; ‘as much as’ (nosse means to know or to love).

l.2 amata est; perfect passive ‘is loved’.

l.3 nulla... fuit umquam; ‘there was never any...’.

l.4 reperta est: perfect passive ‘is found’.

ex parte... mea; ‘for my part’, or more simply just ‘from me’.

Vocab

vere (adv): truly

fides (f, 3): trust, loyalty

ullus, a, um: any

foedus, eris (n, 3): pact, treaty

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Lesbia’s abusecarmen 92

Lesbia mi dicit semper male nec tacet umquam

de me: Lesbia me dispeream nisi amat.

quo signo? quia sunt totidem mea: deprecor illam

assidue, verum dispeream nisi amo.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 mi = mihi.

dicit...male means to talk badly, or to insult.

l.2 dispeream is present subjunctive. Trans ‘may I perish’.

l.3 quo signo abl.case; ‘by what sign?’ (ie how do I know?)

quia = quod.

The noun going with mea has been left out. Understand something like ‘my

habits’ or ‘my ways’

l.4 verum = sed

Vocab

tacere (-ui): to be silent

nisi: unless, if... not

totidem: the same

deprecor: I insult

assidue: continously

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Lesbia’s wrathcarmen 83

Lesbia mi praesente viro mala plurima dicit:

haec illi fatuo maxima laetitia est.

mule, nihil sentis? si nostri oblita taceret,

sana esset: nunc quod gannit et obloquitur,

non solum meminit, sed, quae multo acrior est res, 5

irata est. hoc est, uritur et loquitur.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 praesente viro; ablative absolute, ‘with her husband present’.

mala plurima; ‘very many bad [things]’.

l.2 haec... est; here means something like ‘this is [a source of]...’

l.3 nostri; Catullus here refers to himself in the plural; translate simply as ‘me’

l.4 esset: ‘she would be...’.

l.5 non solum... sed; ‘not only... but also...’

quae... est res: ‘what is a... thing’

l.6 hoc est; ‘that is...’

Vocab

fatuus (m, 2): fool

laetitiia (f, 1): happiness

mulus (m, 2): idiot

sentio (sensi): to notice, feel, know

si: if

oblitus, a, um: forgetful

taceo (tacui): I am silent

sanus, a, um: sane, rational, healthy

gannio: I snarl

obloquor: I interrupt

memini: I remember

acer, acris: fierce, powerful

uror: I burn

loquor: I speak

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Forgotten vowsCarmen 70

Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle

quam mihi, non si se Iuppiter ipse petat.

dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti,

in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 mulier = femina.

se dicit... malle; ‘says that she would prefer’

l.2 quam; (here) rather than.

se... petat; pres subjunctive; ‘sought her’ (in marriage)

l.3 dicit means something like ‘so she says’.

Take quod first; ‘that which’ or ‘whatever’

Vocab

nubere (nupsi): to marry (+dat)

malle (malui): to prefer

cupidus, -a, -um: eager

oportet: one should

ventus (m, 2): wind

rapidus, -a, -um: running

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Odi et amo.Carmen 85

Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.

nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 quare = cur

l.2 fieri means something like ‘it happening’ and is the object of sentio

Vocab

odi: I hate (the perf odi is translated as pres- there is no pres form)

fortasse: perhaps

sentire (sensi): to feel

excrucior: I am tortured

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Love and resentment.carmen 72

Dicebas quondam solum te nosse Catullum,

Lesbia, nec prae me velle tenere Iovem.

dilexi tum te non tantum ut vulgus amicam,

sed pater ut gnatos diligit et generos.

nunc te cognovi: quare etsi impensius uror, 5

multo mi tamen es vilior et levior.

qui potis est, inquis? quod amantem iniuria talis

cogit amare magis, sed bene velle minus.

Translation

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Notes

l.1 dicebas; translate the imperfect ‘used to’.

te nosse; ‘that you loved’ (nosse means to know or to love).

l.2 nec...velle; ‘and that you did not want’ (velle is the infinitive of volo).

l.3 ut means ‘as’ or ‘just like’ when not followed by the subjunctive (as here).

l.4 gnatos...generos: the affection and care of a father for his sons and sons-in-law

was seen as a purer kind of love, than love between a man and a woman.

l.6 mi = mihi.

multo ‘by much’, or simply ‘much’.

l.7 qui potis est; ‘how is this possible?’

amantem; present participle. lit. 'one loving’ and therefore ‘someone who

loves’ or just ‘a lover’

l.8 bene velle ‘to wish well’, or ‘to like’

Vocab

quondam: once

prae (+acc): instead of

diligere (dilexi): to love

vulgus (m, 2): a common man

cognoscere (-novi): to know

quare: and so

uror: I burn

etsi: even

impensius: more fiercely

vilis: cheap, vile

levis: shallow

talis: such

cogere (coegi): to force

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Year 10 Latin, 2007. Catullus Assignment.

i. Choose one of the Catullus poems we have read in class.

ii. Read it again carefully and think about the themes and emotions expressed in the poem.

iii. During the holidays immerse yourself in pop-culture (or a sub-culture of your choosing), and find a movie, song, TV show, magazine or book which expresses similar themes or emotions.

iv. Prepare a five minute presentation including:

an explanation of the theme(s) and emotions in the poem you have chosen. You must support your explanation by quoting relevant lines from your translation of the poem.

an excerpt from your chosen movie, song etc.

an explanation of how this movie, song etc. expresses the same themes/emotions as Catullus.

v. Please ensure that the movie/song etc. you choose is appropriate for a general audience. In particular don’t choose anything from a film which is rated MA15+ or over.

vi. Your presentations will be given in class in the first week back next term. You will be marked on your understanding of your chosen poem and its themes/emotions ( /10), and your presentation skills ( /5).

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Assessment Criteria9-10 Themes/emotions of the poem are clearly identified and explained with

specific reference to the Latin of the poem (not its translation)Student’s choice of medium clearly reflects the themes/emotions of the chosen poem

6-8 Themes/emotions of the poem are clearly identified and explained with general reference to the poemStudent’s choice of medium clearly reflects the themes/emotions of the chosen poem

3-5 Themes/emotions of the poem are clearly identified and explained with no reference to the poemStudent’s choice of multimedia poorly reflects the themes/emotions of the chosen poem

1-2 Themes/emotions of the poem are neither identified nor explainedStudent’s choice of multimedia does not reflect the themes/emotions of the chosen poem

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