Catullus and His Modern Voice

Catullus is one of the most popular poets to survive from classical antiquity. Above all others he seems to speak to modern readers with a modern voice.

Principal Subjects and Context

The distinguished contributors to this Companion discuss the principal subjects which drew Catullus's affection and disgust, above all his famous affair with the woman he calls Lesbia, and situate him in the social, historical and intellectual context of first-century BC Rome.

Influence and Legacy

One of the so-called new poets, Catullus had a profound effect on subsequent Latin poetry, and this is explored especially for the Augustan age and the late first century AD.

Modern Reception and Scholarship

A significant part of the volume is concerned with Catullus's survival into the modern world. There are discussions both of the manuscript tradition and of the interpretative scholarship which has been devoted to his poetry, as well as his reception by renaissance and later poets.

Audience

Students in particular will appreciate this book.