Catullus 78 Translation
Introduction
In several of Catullus’s poems, he addresses incestual relationships. He does this in 78 with a man named Gallus who has two brothers. Readers learn in line one that one brother has a charming wife. In line two, we learn that the other brother has a charming son. In line three, we learn that Gallus lives up to his name and is a gallant or honorable man, as he helps love find its way.
Gallus brings a man and woman together. But, while doing this, Catullus calls Gallus a fool in line five. Catullus does this because he claims that Gallus does not know that the man he paired with the woman already has a wife. Gallus does this by teaching his brother’s son (his nephew) to steal his other brother’s wife. So, in this poem, Gallus brings the brother’s son with the other brother’s wife.
This poem has the tone and sing-song quality of a limerick, with a lesson in the end. Nephews should not have sexual relationships with their aunts, even in ancient Rome. For the nephew to have a relationship with the aunt, the aunt must have been quite young. Older men marrying younger women would have been common in ancient times, especially with some many women dying in childbirth.
It is worth noticing that Catullus uses several words repeatedly. He plays with gallant and charming. The nephew and wife are both charming, which could show they are still young enough to be attractive. It could also be a reference to them having practically magical powers over each other. He also calls them gallang, which means they could be dashing, polite, obliging, possibly even respectful and chivalrous to each other. The word has so many synonyms that it is difficult to determine exactly what Catullus meant by it.
Carmen 78
Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
1 | GALLVS habet fratres, quorum est lepidissima coniunx | GALLUS has two brothers; one has a most charming wife, |
2 | alterius, lepidus filius alterius. | the other a charming boy. |
3 | Gallus homo est bellus: nam dulces iungit amores, | Gallus is a gallant: he helps love's course, |
4 | cum puero ut bello bella puella cubet. | and brings the gallant lad to go to bed with the gallant lass. |
5 | Gallus homo est stultus, nec se uidet esse maritum, | Gallus is a fool, and does not see that he has a wife of his own, |
6 | qui patruus patrui monstret adulterium. | when he teaches a nephew how to seduce an uncle's wife. |
7 | SED nunc id doleo, quod purae pura puellae | BUT now what annoys me is that your nasty spittle |
8 | suauia comminxit spurca saliua tua. | has urinated on the pure lips of a pure girl. |
9 | uerum id non impune feres: nam te omnia saecla | But you shall not have it gratis; all generations |
10 | noscent et, qui sis, fama loquetur anus. | shall know you, and beldame Rumour shall tell what you are. |
