Catullus 64
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Catullus 64 is an epyllion or "little epic" poem written by Catullus. Catullus' longest poem, it retains his famed linguistic witticisms while expressing an appropriately epic tone.
Though ostensibly concerning itself with the marriage of Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis (parents of the famed Greek Hero Achilles), a sizeable portion of the poem's lines are devoted to the desertion of Ariadne by the legendary Theseus. Told through ecphrasis, or the depiction of events on inanimate objects, the bulk of the poem details Ariadne's agonized solace. Her impassioned vituperations and eventual discovery by the wine-god Bacchus are some of the included plot events.
The meter of the poem is dactylic hexameter, the meter of epic poetry, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid.
Full text[1]
The pine trees erstwhile grown on Mt. Pelion's summit are said to have floated on Neptune's clear waves to Phasis, Aeëtean land, when the fittest young men, the glory of Argive manpower, dared travel over the sea's briny waters on a rapidly moving ship as they swept the deep blue expanse with wooden oars, because they hoped to steal the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Athena Polias, holding fast the citadels on the cities' summits for the Argonauts, made a ship that moves rapid ly with a light gust of wind, joining pinewood frameworks for a curved keel. The Argo first drenched the virgin sea with its travel; as soon as it plowed with its beak the windy sea and the waves, white with spume and spun in an eddy by the rowing, the maritime Nereids raised their faces from the sparkling whirlpool of the sea in admiration of the sight. The men saw by one and no other light these mermaids in the nude, standing by their Muses out of the sea, and so I sing. Then Peleus, inflamed, is carried away in love with Thetis, then Thetis does not scorn human marriage, then her father himself understands that Peleus must be joined to Thetis. O heroes, born in a time much desired by the generations, and kin of the gods, you hail! Good daughter of good mothers, hail again! I'll address you often in my song. And Peleus, are you the top man of Thessaly, so especially honored with prosperous wedding torches, to whom Jupiter himself, himself the father of the gods, gave his mistress? Did Thetis, the lovely Nereid, embrace you? Did Tethys and Oceanus, who in the sea embrace the whole world, grant you their granddaughter to marry? Then on that very same longed for day, all of Thessaly thronged to come together to the house, and the palace was filled with rejoicing crowds: they bore gifts before themselves and made their delights known by their countenance. They left Cieros; they left Phthiotic Tempe, the houses of Crannon and walls of Larisa; they came together at Pharsalus and filled Pharsalian houses. As nobody lived in the hinterland, the necks of young bulls had become soft, the low grapevines hadn't been cleared out with curved hoes, no bull was tugging at the earth with a sloping plowshare, no foliage tenders' knives pared down the shadow of a tree, but rust had been accumulating filth on the lonely plows. Yet Peleus' home, wherever the opulent palace extended, was shining with gleaming gold and silver. Ivory was shining on the thrones, drinking cups were shining on the table, and the whole house,glittering, rejoiced in the royal treasure. This bedspread having been adorned with with ancient figures of men shows the virtues of heroes with amazing skill. And for looking forth from wave resounding shore of Dia <Naxos>, bearing wild furies in the heart Ariadne watches Theseus leaving with a swift fleet, not yet even she believes that she sees what things she see, naturally since she who then first having awakened from deceptive sleep, she sees that she herself miserable having been deserted on the lone sand. But forgetful fleeing youth strikes the shallows with oars Abandoning null promises to a storm full of wind. Whom the Minoan one far off from the seaweed with sorrowful little eyes, She stony as a statue of Bacchus,looks forth, alas, She looks forth and rages with great waves of cares, not retaining the delicate headdress on the blond head, not having been covered in respect to the chest in a light garment, not having been bound in respect to the milky breasts with polished bra, with all things which having slipped away from the whole body here and there The waves of salt were playing before the feet of that one. But neither then of the flowing cloth or of the hat she was hanging on you, Theseus, from the whole heart, from the whole spirit, from the whole mind having been lost. A! The miserable one, whom with constant sorrows frightened Eregina sowing thorny cares in the chest, at that storm, the fierce Theseus from which time having set out from the curved shores of Piraeus touches the Cretan temples of the unjust king. For once they say that Athens having been compelled by cruel plague to pay the penalties of the blood of Androgeos, at the same time was accustomed to give youths having been chosen and grave of the maidens as a sacrificial meal to the Minotaur. The narrow city walls were being troubled with which evil things, rather than such deaths of Athens might be carried to Crete and not as deaths. And thus relying on the light ship and on the gentle breezes he comes to great spirited Minos and proud seats. As soon as the royal maiden caught sight of this one with a desiring eye whom the chaste little couch was emitting sweet smells was nourishing in the soft embrace of the mother. just as the rivers of Eurota encircle myrtles or the spring breeze leads out distinctive colors, not earlier she turned away from that one passionate light, whom conceived the flame with all the body entirely and caught fire total in the deepest marrow. Alas wretchedly rousing the furies with savage heart, sacred Cupid, who you mix joy with the cares of men, and which you rule Golgos and leafy Idalium, you throw burning girl with what type of disorderly mind in the wave often the guest sighs! How many times you brought those fearing with weak heart! How great she turned pale of gold with great gleam, with Theseus seeking to fight against the savage monster or death or reward of praise! Not however she in vain promising little gifts to the gods and she undertakes prayers with a silent lip. For just as a wild whirlwind twisting the trunk with gust uprooting the oak tree shaking arms on the top of Taurus or cone bearing pine tree sweating bark, that one having been uprooted far off by the roots falls facedown, widely breaking every conceivable thing in the way, thus Theseus laid low the savage one with the body having been conquered in vain throwing the horns to the empty winds. From there the safe bent back the foot with great praise guiding footsteps wandering to the thin string lest the untraceable maze might trick the one going out from the labyrinthian bendings. But why should I having digressed from the first poem recall more things, how the daughter leaving behind the face of the father the embrace of the sister, and finally the embrace of the mother, who having been destroyed utterly used to be the happy in the sad daughter she preferred the sweet love of Theseus to all these things: or how having ben carried by raft to the foam filled shore of Dia she came, or the husband departing with a forgetful heart left behind he having been bound in respect to er eyes with sleep. Often they say that one raging with burning heart for they say that she poured from the deepest chest clearsounding voice, then they say that the sad one climbs the steep mountains, from where she might stretch forth her vision into the vast swells, then she runs forward into the opposing waves of the trembling salt raising the soft coverings of calf having been made bare. and they say that this very wretched one said these things with final lamentations, producing cold sobs with a wet mouth: Treacherous one, thus have you left me having carried away from fatherly altars, treacherous one, you felt me on the deserted shore, Theseus? thus, departing one with the divine will of the gods having been neglected forgetful A! did you carry the accursed false oaths of home? Was not anything able to bend the plan of the cruel mind? Was there any mercy for you available, so that a cruel heart might want to pity for us? But did you not give these promises with a seductive voice to me: you were not ordering for the sad one to hope for these things, bu happy unions, but desired weddings, all which worthless things the airy winds tear, Now already let no woman trust a man swearing, let none hope that the speeches of man are faithful,: for whom while the desiring mind is eager to grasp something, They fear to swear nothing, they spare to promise nothing. But as soon as the lust of the desiring mind has been satisfied, They feared the words as nothing, they care for the false oaths not at all. Certainly I snatched you turning in the middle whirlwind of death, and rather I decided to lose the brother, For which I will be given to be torn to pieces as prey to wild beast and birds, and I dead will not be buried with dirt having been thrown over. Just what lioness produced you under the lonely crag, what sea spat you having been conceived in foaming waves out, which Syritis, what rapacious Scylla, what vast Charybdis, you whom returded such rewards for a sweet life? If our marriages had not been for you to the heart because you were bristling the savage rules of the ancient parent but however you were able to lead me into your seats, I who might serve you as a slave in joyful labor, caressing he white tracks with clear waters, or covering your bed with purple cloth. But why should I complain in vain to the unaware breezes, having been terrified by evil, which having been furnished with no senses They who are able neither to hear nor return the voices having been sent? That one however is being turned nearly in the middle waves, nor anyone mortal appears in the empty seaweed. Thus even savage fortune taunting too much in the final time begrudged ears for our complaints. all powerful Jupiter, if only the Athenian ships had not touched the Cretan shores for the first time, nor the treacherous sailor bearing dreadful tributes for the wild bull had unbound the rope in Crete nor would that the evil one hiding cruel plans in sweet form had rested in our seats as a guest! For where should I bring myself back? With what type of hope do I having been ruined rely? Should I seek the Cretan mountains? But witha a wide whirlpool of the sea the savage surface separating divides. Or should I hope for the help of the father? Whom I left behind having followed the young man having been sprinkled with fraternal blood? Or should I console myself with the faithful love of the husband? Who flees bending the flexible oars in the sea? Besides the lonely island is being inhabited by no hose, nor an escape lies open of the sea with waves girding. no method of flight, no hope: Everything is silentk all things are deserted, all things show death. Not however before the eyes will grow weak for me with death, nor before the sense will withdraw from the tired body, I having been ruined will demand a just penalty from the gods. And I will pray for the faith of the heavenly ones in the final hour. Wherefore, Eumenides, punishing the deeds of men with avenging penalty, to whom the forehead having been encircled with snaky hair carries forth angers breathing out of the chest, here come here, hear my complaints, which I , alas wretched, have been compelled to bring forth from the bottom marrows helpless, burning, blind with crazy fury. Since such things are being born from the deepest chest, you don't suffer our grief to wane, but with what type of mind Theseus left me alone, let hime pollute both himself and his own with death, goddesses. After she pour forth these voices from the sad chest, the troubled one demanding a punishment for savage deeds, the ruler of the heavenly ones nodded with unconquerable divine will; by which motion, the land and the bristling seas trembled and the universe shook the shining stars. Theseus himself having been planted in respect to the mind with blind darkness sent away all things with chest having forgotten. which orders before he was holding in a steady mind nor raising the sweet signals to the sad parent nor he shows that he himself safe saw the Athenian port. For once they say when Aegeus was entrusting the son leaving the walls of the goddess with a fleet to the winds, that he having embraced gave such orders to the youth: "One and only son more precious to me than long life, son, whom I am forced to send away to dubious misfortunes, having been returned recently to me in the final end of old age, since my fortune and your passionate courage snatches you from uwilling me, to whom the weak eyes not yet satisfied by the dear figure of the son.
