Catullus 47 Translation
Introduction
In this poem, Catullus talks about the two assistants of Piso: Porcius and Socration. But, instead of calling them his left and right hand, Catullus calls them his two left hands. Then, he refers to them as metaphors or plague and famine. He also insults them by asking if Priapus preferred them to Veranius and Fabullu, Catullus’s two friends. Catullus also refers to Priapus as a phallus, which is a penis.
He then asks them if they are busy spending money and having banquets. And, not just any banquets, but banquets held in broad daylight. Catullus then shares that his two friends are walking around looking for invitations.
When Catullus is referring to his friends having to look for invitations, he does not mean they want to be invited to the banquets. Instead, he most likely means that they are hunting for invitations from other men, as if they were prostitutes. This is because they are no longer working for wealthy government officials, as Porcius and Socration now hold their former position.
Catullus also manages to use alliteration in an effective way. The letter that is most often alliterated is “p.” This is a good choice because when people say “p” repeatedly, it often includes spitting as it is a phoneme that requires speakers to stop. It makes sense that Catullus would use this consonant as he is disgusted by Piso, so he would want to spit when he addresses this man.
It is interesting that Catullus calls Porcius and Socration plague and famine. As the left hand of Piso, they would have been responsible for helping execute his plans. He was an ostentatious ruler who was involved in the plot to overthrow and kill Nero. Catullus clearly did not like Piso, even though he did share his wealth with many Romans.
Carmen 47
Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
1 | PORCI et Socration, duae sinistrae | Porcius and Socration, Piso's two left hands, |
2 | Pisonis, scabies famesque mundi, | you plague and mere famine, |
3 | uos Veraniolo meo et Fabullo | has that phallic Priapus preferred you |
4 | uerpus praeposuit Priapus ille? | to my dear Veranius and Fabullus? |
5 | uos conuiuia lauta sumptuose | Are you spending money and holding splendid rich banquets |
6 | de die facitis, mei sodales | at vast expense in broad daylight, whilst my old friends |
7 | quaerunt in triuio uocationes? | must walk about the streets to hunt for an invitation ? |
