Catullus 74 Translation
Introduction |
Gellius has to be the most demented person that Catullus knows. And, readers of Catullus’s poetry should be grateful, because he provides plenty of drama. In this poem in the Gellius Cycle, Catullus shares how Gellius showed how his uncle was a fool.
In this poem, Gellius had an uncle would criticize people who would indulge in sexual promiscuity or indulgence. Gellius then avoided being someone his uncle would criticize by seducing his aunt. His uncle had nothing to say, making him as silent as the god of silence (Harpocrates).
Gellius was dead set on proving his uncle wrong and would even perform fellatio on him, according to Catullus and his thoughts on the sexual deviant. If Gellius did this to his uncle, the uncle would remain silent.
As usual, Gellius does what he wants without any concern of what people think of him; this is a constant theme in the Gellius Cycle. For Catullus, this might be problematic. He cannot do what he wants, especially with Lesbia. Catullus could be jealous of Gellius. Not for his sexual deviancy, but for his carefree attitude about it.
This poem has a darkness to it that is troublesome. Gellius purposefully goes against what his uncle says, but to what point? Is he trying to be the most powerful in his family? Is he sexually attracted to his family members? This isn’t the only poem where he has sexual relations with his aunt, and his uncle is aware of it. The uncle being silent shows that the uncle is weak, especially since he has already been known to reprove people who practice indulgent behaviors. Then, if Gellius performs fellatio on him, it makes the uncle the weaker member of the relationship, according to the ancient views on homosexuality.
Carmen 74 |
| Line | Latin text | English translation |
|---|---|---|
1 | GELLIVS audierat patruum obiurgare solere, | GELLIUS had heard that his uncle used to reprove |
2 | si quis delicias diceret aut faceret. | any one who talked of indulgence or used it. |
3 | hoc ne ipsi accideret, patrui perdepsuit ipsam | To avoid this himself, he seduced his uncle’s own wife, |
4 | uxorem, et patruum reddidit Harpocratem. | and so made him as dumb as Harpocrates. |
5 | quod uoluit fecit: nam, quamuis irrumet ipsum | He did what he wanted; for even if he should clintonize |
6 | nunc patruum, uerbum non faciet patruus. | the uncle himself, uncle will not say a word. |
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Resources |
VRoma Project: http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/074x.html
