Catullus 65 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Catullus 65 Deck (18)
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1
Q

Tone of Catullus 65

A

Sad- his brother just died.

2
Q

doctis, Horatale, virginibus

the learned maidens, Hortalus

A

the muses

3
Q

mens animi

‘the thought of my mind’

A

old fashioned phrase. Used by Lucretius and Plautus.

4
Q

tantis fluctuat ipsa malis

(my mind) itself is tossed about with such great misfortunes

A

mind has got its own problems, and is trapped.

5
Q

What is special about the structure of this poem?

A

Uses separative patterning (adjective and noun are separated).
Callimachus does that in his pentameters, but Catullus does it in pentameters and hexameters

6
Q

Letheao

Lethean

A

one of the rivers of the underworld

7
Q

gurgite

flowing wave

A

word implies the sea is swallowing him

8
Q

pallidulem

pale (foot)

A

the fact his foot is pale implies death

9
Q

Who was this poem written for?

A

Hortalus- Cicero’s asianist rival in the courts, and a poet of ‘new school’ tastes.

10
Q

What accompanied this letter?

A

a translation of Callimachus poem 66

11
Q

Rhoteum Shore

A

Brother died at Troy

12
Q

Daulius, absumpti fata gemens Ityli–
Such songs as Daulias sings under the dense shade of branches
as she laments the fate of dead itylus

A

Simile of the nightingale’s lament is Homeric.
Procne- daughter of King of Athens and wife of Thracian Tereus. Avenges her husbands violence to her sister Philomela (Daulias) by killing her own son Itys. Tereus pursues the fleeing sisters. Gods intervene. Procne turned into a sparow (Greek)/nightingale (L), Philomela a nightingale (G)/sparrow (L)

13
Q

sed tamen in tantis maeroribus

but nevertheless in such great griefs..

A

sed tamen

introduces the apodosis.

14
Q

apodosis

A

main clause of a conditional sentence

15
Q

battiadae

son of Battus

A

Callimachus
(Callimachus’ father was called Battus, but the name insinuated a connection between him and the legendary king/founder of Cyrene, C’s home. C claimed descent from the king, and used the name purposefully).

16
Q

malum

apple

A

apples were love tokens

17
Q

atque illud prono praceps agitur decursu

and is driven headlong in a downward descent

A

distinctive rhythm - spondees in all but the fourth foot.
Girl’s bewilderment at the slow roll of the apple.
alliteration of ‘p’
atque emphasises the sudden and surprising conclusion.

18
Q

conscius ore rubor

A

transferred epithet