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Catullus

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Roman lyric poet known for passionate love poems to "Lesbia" and scathing invectives

Detailed Definition
Gaius Valerius Catullus pioneered personal, emotionally raw poetry in Latin, blending Greek forms with Roman sensibility. His work influenced Renaissance and modern love poetry. Poets reference him to explore erotic obsession, poetic intimacy, and the power of verse to immortalize both love and hatred.
Example
Example in poetry:
Catullus appears in lyric poetry as the passionate lover of Lesbia; Poets emulate Catullus’s blend of tenderness and invective; His “Odi et amo” becomes a template for love’s contradictions; Renaissance poets revived Catullus to challenge medieval courtly love conventions; Modern confessional poets cite Catullus as a precursor to raw emotional honesty; His attacks on rivals inspire satirical verse on poetic rivalry.
Additional Notes
Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84–54 BCE) was a Roman lyric poet known for passionate love poems to “Lesbia” (Clodia), scathing invectives, and refined elegiacs; his work blends Greek forms with personal emotion; in poetry, Catullus represents raw intimacy, poetic innovation, or the tension between eros and decorum—frequently alluded to by Renaissance and modern lyric poets (e.g., in translations by Jonson, Herrick, or Anne Carson).
Also Known As
Gaius Valerius Catullus
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