Catullus 49
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Catullus 49 is a poem by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus (c. 84–c. 54 BC) sent to Marcus Tullius Cicero as a superficially laudatory poem. Like the majority of Catullus' poems, the meter of this poem is hendecasyllabic. This is also the only time Cicero is ever mentioned in any of Catullus' poems.
The following Latin text is taken from D. F. S. Thomson.[1]
| Line | Latin Text | Literal English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disertissime Romuli nepotum, | O most learned of the descendants of Romulus, |
| 2 | quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli, | as many there are and as many as there were, Marcus Tullius, |
| 3 | quotque post aliis erunt in annis, | or as many as there will be later in years, |
| 4 | gratias tibi maximas Catullus | Catullus gives you the greatest thanks, |
| 5 | agit pessimus omnium poeta, | the worst of all poets, |
| 6 | tanto pessimus omnium poeta | by as much the worst poet of all, |
| 7 | quanto tu optimus omnium patronus. | as you the best lawyer/patron of all. |
- Notes
- The descendants of Romulus are the Romans, since it is believed that Remus and Romulus founded Rome.
- A patronus was someone who gave assistance and protection to another person, including non-Romans. The people for whom the patron spoke for were the cliens and they, in return, would respect the patronus and offer little favors like political campaigning and household chores. One of the types of patronage was the slave-owner over his freedmen, where the slave-owner retained some power over them and inherited their property if they died heirless.[2] The betrayal of this bond or fides was a capital offense.
