ABSTRACT

The poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus, of which the above is an example, has long tantalized literary scholars. In part, the status of the Catullan corpus in the Roman literary canon has been occasioned by its own history. It is something of a truism that historians of ancient literature and culture possess insufficient evidence from which to construct a satisfying picture of the past. As a result, the scatterings of text we do possess can give the problematic impression that they are all exemplary and pivotal. Yet it can hardly be denied that certain Roman writers - for example, the comic playwright Plautus, whose career overlapped significantly with the Second Punic War - composed their works during periods charged with historical significance. Likewise, it is clear that other Roman writers, such as Vergil, exerted considerable influence on those who followed.