Catullus Beliefs

Catullus is renowned for his incredibly emotional poetry, specifically his love poetry. Though not mentioned by name in many, most of his poems are devoted to Lesbia, his girlfriend/ ex-girlfriend (depending on which poem you’re reading). His impassioned poetry is much different from the epic poetry that was so common in his day. Instead of spinning long, winding tales of the gods and heroes and whatnot (though he does dabble in epic poetry on occasion), Catullus prefers to discuss his own life and his own feelings. His work is heavily inspired by another famous lyric poet, Sappho. Sappho also wrote much on the topic of her love life, and it is easy to see how the hopeless romantic Catullus preferred her work over his fellow Roman poets. Whilst

cataloging his tumultuous relationship with Lesbia, Catullus even goes so far as to copy one of Sappho’s poems. Though the main focus of his work is on his relationship with Lesbia, Catullus’ poetry is still full of Sapphic influence.
Sappho was Catullus’ greatest inspiration. He modeled his lyric poetry after hers, and repeated many of the same themes. Lyric poetry is much more personal than epic poetry, and it could be argued that Catullus saw himself in Sappho’s poetry. Sappho also wrote a lot of love poetry about herself, and her relationships had their fair share of ups and downs. Perhaps it was because of the connection he felt to Sappho that he nicknamed his lover after her. Lesbia’s real name isn’t Lesbia, in fact evidence points to her being an aristocrat named Clodia. The name given to her by Catullus is without a doubt a tribute to his idol, Sappho, who was born on the island of Lesbos. The nickname was not only a shoutout to Sappho, though. It is likely that Catullus used the name Lesbia to give Clodia some sense of anonymity, as their affair was supposed to be secret. Either way, it is touching of Catullus to reference his biggest inspiration in his intimate love poetry.
Intimacy is the most notable feature of Catullus’ work, especially considering the range of emotion he displays over the course of his relationship with Lesbia.

The poems aren’t in chronological order, but one can try to peace the relationship together based solely off of what Catullus is feeling. When he first begins to see Lesbia, Catullus is incredibly smug. Lesbia, as we’re told, is married and, at first, Catullus seems to get a thrill out of being the other man. In poem eighty three, entitled “The Husband,” he even boasts about the occasions where Lesbia mocks him in front of her husband saying, “If she forgot and was silent about me, that would be right: now since she moans and abuses, she not only remembers, but something more serious, she’s angry. That is, she’s inflamed, so she speaks.” Catullus isn’t shy about his feelings for Lesbia, having written so many poems about her, and he craves any sort of reciprocation of feelings from her. In the poems that seem to be from the earliest point in their relationship, Lesbia seems to be much more involved in the relationship. Catullus claims that “...She’d rather marry no one but me…” (despite the fact that she’s already married) in poem seventy, “Women’s Faithfulness.” This is one of the few instances where Lesbia seems to be as smitten with Catullus as he is with her. As the poems (should they be placed in chronological order) go on, Catullus and Lesbia’s affair shifts from mutual love to Catullus pining after

Lesbia.
The dynamic between Lesbia and Catullus begins to shift as he becomes increasingly jealous and possessive over her. The more their relationship develops, the more insecure Catullus begins to feel. Poem fifty one, which is an imitation of one of Sappho’s poems, highlights this change. Whereas he once took joy in being the other man, he know finds “[His] tongue...numbed” and raging fires running through his “poor limbs.” Lesbia, however, seems unaffected. She seems to have been content with their relationship as it was, but Catullus wants more. This is the turning point of their relationship. Up until now, everything has been light-hearted and lovey-dovey. However, as he becomes more jealous he begins to realize that this relationship isn’t going to progress further, but he can’t help but wish it would. Eventually, his jealousy leads to anguish.
At some point, there seems to be some sort of falling out between Lesbia and Catullus, most likely because he is more invested in their relationship than her. This creates a sort of duality in Catullus, where he’s upset with Lesbia for choosing not to be with him anymore, but he still loves her. He captures this feeling perfectly with the short poem, “I hate and love. And why, perhaps you’ll ask. I don’t know: but I feel, and I’m tormented.” In such a simple statement, Catullus describes an almost inexplicable feeling. Here we see Catullus at his lowest point, though what follows isn’t much of an improvement. Sometime after the love-hate poem, Catullus writes what is essentially a long letter himself, telling him to stop obsessing over Lesbia. He tells himself that “[Lesbia] no longer wants [him]” and that he needs to either “...Be unwilling to chase what flees, or live in misery….” Up until this point, he’s been wallowing in self pity, and he realizes that he needs to stop thinking about Lesbia. Catullus also starts taunting Lesbia, asking “...What life’s left for you? Who’ll submit to you now? Who’ll see your beauty? Who now will you love?” and so on. To cope with the heartache of losing Lesbia, he lashes out against her. This hatred replaces any other feeling he had for her, making him very bitter.
Catullus and Lesbia’s relationship seems to end on a sour note.

While there’s no clear way of telling which poems come last, every single poem referring to the end of their relationship is filled with hateful words and a general negative energy. In poem eleven, Catullus has received the closure he so desperately sought, however he lost the love he fought for. He seems to be somewhat content with his own life, and sarcastically wishes all the best for Lesbia, saying, “Let her live and be happy with her adulterers, hold all three-hundred in her embrace, truly love-less, wearing them all down again and again: let her not look for my love as before, she whose crime destroyed it, like the last flower of the field, touched once by the passing plough.” Catullus is vengeful, which suggests that he’s finally done with Lesbia, but there is still something pitiful about him. The reader can’t help but feel compassion for Catullus, who seems to have been broken by Lesbia, while he meant almost nothing to her at all. It is a tragic way to end off a love story, but one that feels very true to

Catullus.
The lack of closure in Catullus and Lesbia’s only adds to the emotional impact already set in place by Catullus’ use of lyric poetry, which magnifies Catullus’ dramatic shift in feelings for Lesbia. The non chronological order that the poems have the same effect. As reader moves between a poem where Catullus is praising Lesbia’s beauty to one where he’s cursing her name, it becomes all the more apparent that Catullus has been through a lot in this relationship. Together, with his lyrical poetry and Sapphic poetry, Catullus creates a very moving collection of poems.