Catullus 115 Translation
Introduction |
Catullus does not like Mamurra and his nickname, Mr. Penis, proves it. This poem is similar to 114, where he talks about Mamurra owning land, but not being able to manage it. Mamurra has several acres of grazing land according to the poet. He also has land that is meant to be ploughed, but according to Catullus, the rest of it is saltwater.
Catullus then compares Mamurra to Croesus, who was incredibly wealthy, but has one estate filled with all types of land. Croesus has land that stretches from the Hyperboreans and the Great Sea. In line seven, Catullus comments on the wonder of two wealthy men owning a substantial amount of land. Then, he mentions how Mamurra is the greatest wonder of all. Catullus says in the final line of the poem that Mamurra is not a man, but a “monstrous menacing penis”.
According to this poem, Catullus thinks that Mamurra is dangerous. A menacing penis he would be one who penetrates others, whether sexually or in some other way. This appears to be bothersome to Catullus who also seems dumbfounded by how much land Mamurra owns. Croesus was an ancient king who was best known for his incredible wealth. He was so wealthy that the ancients had a saying when someone was rich, they were as rich as Croesus. Mamurra is wealthy, and might even rival Croesus.
But, where Croesus had some respect, Mamurra does not. In some of Catullus’s poems that reference sexual organs, he writes them in playful or sarcastic styles. In this poem, Catullus appears to be aggressive in his tone. Mamurra is unable to take care of his land, and he appears to be unable to be human in his behavior. As a monstrous, menacing penis, he is a danger to society.
Carmen 115 |
| Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
1 | MENTVLA habet instar triginta iugera prati, | Mr. Penis has something like thirty acres of grazing land, |
2 | quadraginta arui: cetera sunt maria. | forty of plough-land: the rest is salt water. |
3 | cur non diuitiis Croesum superare potis sit, | How can he fail to surpass Croesus in wealth, |
4 | uno qui in saltu tot bona possideat, | who occupies so many good things in one estate, |
5 | prata arua ingentes siluas saltusque paludesque | pasture, arable, vast woods and cattle-ranges and lakes |
6 | usque ad Hyperboreos et mare ad Oceanum? | as far as the Hyperboreans and the Great Sea? |
7 | omnia magna haec sunt, tamen ipsest maximus ultro, | All this is wonderful – but he himself is the greatest wonder of all, |
8 | non homo, sed uero mentula magna minax. | not a man like the rest of us, but a monstrous menacing penis. |
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Resources |
VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/115x.html
