Catullus
Overview
- Not to be confused with various Romans named "Catulus", see LutatiusLutatiusLutatius was the name of an ancient Roman family . They rose into prominence during the First Punic War and produced several consuls during the subsequent generations, but were not one of the gentes maiores. The Lutatii were noble plebeians....
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Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca. 84 BC – ca. 54 BC) was a Latin poet
Latin literature
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings of the ancient Romans. In many ways, it seems to be a continuation of Greek literature, using many of the same forms...
of the Republican period
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.
Catullus came from a leading equestrian
Equestrian (Roman)
The Roman equestrian order constituted the lower of the two aristocratic classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the patricians , a hereditary caste that monopolised political power during the regal era and during the early Republic . A member of the equestrian order was known as an eques...
family of Verona in Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul, in Latin: Gallia Cisalpina or Citerior, also called Gallia Togata, was a Roman province until 41 BC when it was merged into Roman Italy.It bore the name Gallia, because the great body of its inhabitants, after the expulsion of the Etruscans, consisted of Gauls or Celts...
, and according to St. Jerome, he was born in the town.
Unanswered Questions
