CATULLUS 68 - Scuola Normale Superiore

etween these poems. The first is their purpose: both were written in praise of an individual who was not
distinguished in conventional terms, and who was close to the poet (in the case of the Twelfth Iambus this is
the baby daughter of Callimachus’ kinsman Leo). The second is a novel conception of the role of the
Muse(s), who are no longer considered the source of all poetic achievements in these two texts, but Catullus
asks them to popularize his art, while Callimachus simply addresses one of these goddesses (see lines 41-
50n.). On the other hand, the differences between the two poe,s remain striking: there is no close verbal
connection between what survives of the Iambus and Catullus 68b, and even their metre is different
(catalectic trochaic trimeters κατ !τ⇔ξον and elegiac distichs, respectively). This means that poem 68b
may have been inspired by the Twelfth Iambus in its overall conception or also in one or two technicalities,
but it does not echo the Iambus at any point, and Catullus may not have had it in mind at all.
Could Catullus be following a lost model here? Given the quantity of earlier texts that have gone lost, one
certainly has to entertain this possibility: he could have imitated a lost Hellenistic poem, or perhaps a Roman
one that we know nothing about. I believe, however, that this was not the case. Catullus thought that Allius
had done him an exceptional favour, and he wanted to thank him in an exceptional way – so it is hardly
surprising if there are no close parallels for what he wrote.
*****
One reason why poem 68b is so effective is that it is not restricted to the praise of Allius, but touches on
several key themes of Catullus’ poetry: his relationship with Lesbia, the mythical past, and the death of his
brother. As is well known, the poet goes through these themes one by one, and then once again in reverse
order, which gives a ‘Chinese box’ structure to the text:
A lines 41-68 Allius’ help
B 69-72 Lesbia’s arrival
C 73-86 Laodamia’s love for Protesilaus
D 87-90 the Trojan War
E 91-100 the death of Catullus’ brother
D’ 101-104 the Trojan War
C’ 105-130 Laodamia’s love for Protesilaus
B’ 131-148 Lesbia’s arrival and Catullus’ relationship with her
A’ 149-160 envoi to Allius
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