Catullus 12 Translation
Introduction |
In Catullus 12, the poet is clearly accusing Asinius Marrucinus of being a thief, and not a very good one. He claims that Asinius Marrucinus uses his left hand to lift items, but that he should find a better skill. Asinius stole a napkin from Catullus and he wants it back. The napkin was a gift from Veranius and Fabullus who received them from the Spaniards.
Catullus threatens Asinius with retribution in the form of 300 hendecasyllabic verses. These are verses that have lines that are 11-syllables with a set pattern. These meters were used frequently in Ancient Greek and Roman poetry, but is rarely used today because of the complexity of the meters. In classical poetry, the lines usually included a mixture of a spondee, a choriamb, and two iambs. Catullus used this meter often, and he used it in 12.
Catullus doesn’t care much about the napkin itself. What matters to him is that his friends gave it to him. It is a token of friendship. Like most items in Ancient Rome, napkins were made by hand. This gave them value, which is why Asinius Marrucinus stole it. But, the monetary value is not what drives Catullus to insult the man who stole the girl.
Another notable aspect of this poem is the name Asinius Marrucinus. The name Asinius comes from the term asinus, which means jackass. If the proper name is reversed to Marrucinus Asinius, the name literally means son of a jackass.
Catullus was friends with Asinius Marrucinus’s brother, Pollio. His proper name was Asinius Pollio, and he was known in Ancient Rome as a poet, historian, and soldier. He served as a politician later in life. Plutarch used Pollio’s histories to write his own. It makes sense that Pollio and Catullus would be friends.
With Pollio being an upstanding citizen in Rome, it is befitting for Catullus to chastise the brother for being a petty thief. The Asinius name is better than that. But, Catullus isn’t overly upset about the theft because his suggested punishment is to send Marrucinus 300 poems. If Catullus truly had disdain for Marrucinus, he would have delivered harsher words to him.
Catullus mentions the Saetaban cloth in 25, when he refers to another thief who stole some of his belongings. Saetaban cloth was produced along the Meditterranean coast of Spain. The area is now called Jativa, and the people of this area are known for producing exquisite linens during ancient times.
Catullus received the linens from his dear friends, Veranius and Fabullus. He mentions the friends in a few poems, but little is known about the two. Since Catullus cares about the gift they gave him, he clearly cares about his friends. Since Asinius Marrucinus has a brother who is a close friend of Catullus, there is a possibility that Catullus wishes that Marrucinus could also be a friend. There is a bit of a friendly relationship, especially in the way that Catullus threatens to punish him with poems. It’s a lighthearted poem, but it does seem to show that Catullus has a bit of frustration from the minor theft.
Carmen 12 |
| Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MARRVCINE Asini, manu sinistra | Asinius Marrucinus, you do not make a pretty use |
| 2 | non belle uteris: in ioco atque uino | of your left hand when we are laughing and drinking: |
| 3 | tollis lintea neglegentiorum. | you take away the napkins of people who are off their guard. |
| 4 | hoc salsum esse putas? fugit te, inepte: | Do you think this a good joke? You are mistaken, you silly fellow; |
| 5 | quamuis sordida res et inuenusta est. | it is ever so ill-bred, and in the worst taste. |
| 6 | non credis mihi? crede Pollioni | You don’t believe me? Believe your brother Pollio, |
| 7 | fratri, qui tua furta uel talento | who would be glad to have your thefts redeemed |
| 8 | mutari uelit: est enim leporum | at the cost of a whole talent; for he is a boy |
| 9 | differtus puer ac facetiarum. | who is a master of all that is witty and amusing. |
| 10 | quare aut hendecasyllabos trecentos | So now either look out for three hundred hendecasyllables, |
| 11 | exspecta, aut mihi linteum remitte, | or send me back my napkin, |
| 12 | quod me non mouet aestimatione, | which does not concern me for what it is worth, |
| 13 | uerum est mnemosynum mei sodalis. | but because it is a keepsake from my old friend; |
| 14 | nam sudaria Saetaba ex Hiberis | for Fabullus and Veranius sent me some Saetaban napkins |
| 15 | miserunt mihi muneri Fabullus | as a present from Hiberia. |
| 16 | et Veranius: haec amem necesse est | How I help being fond of these, |
| 17 | ut Veraniolum meum et Fabullum. | as I am of my dear Veranius and Fabullus ? |
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Resources |
VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/012.html
