Catullus 84

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Catullus 84 is a poem by the Roman poet Catullus. In it, he makes fun of a social climber who haspirates his words to sound educated, just as some modern speakers will affect an English accent.

The meter of this poem is elegiac couplets, a common form in Catullus' poetry.

[edit] Latin text and translation

Literal English Translation Original Latin Line

Arrius said "hadvantages," when he wished to say "advantages,"
   and "hambushes" when he wished to say "ambushes,"
and he was hoping that he was speaking remarkably,
  when he had said "hambushes" as much as he was able.
I believe, thus his mother, thus his free uncle,
  thus his maternal grandfather and grandmother had spoken.
This man may have been sent into Syria, the ears to all of us were quiet:
  they were hearing these same words lighter and softer,
nor afterwards they did not fear such words for themselves,
  when suddenly horrible news is brought,
The Ionian waves, after Arrius had gone to there,
  now are not Ionion but "Hionian."

Chommoda dicebat, si quando commoda vellet
  dicere, et insidias Arrius hinsidias.
et tum mirifice sperabat se esse locutum,
  cum quantum poterat dixerat hinsidias.
Credo, sic mater, sic liber avunculus eius,
  sic maternus avus dixerat atque avia.
Hoc misso in Syriam requierant omnibus aures:
  audibant eadem haec leniter et leviter,
nec sibi postilla metuebant talia verba,
  cum subito affertur nuntius horribilis,
Ionios fluctus, postquam illuc Arrius isset,
  iam non Ionios esse sed Hionios.

84.1
84.2
84.3
84.4
84.5
84.6
84.7
84.8
84.9
84.10
84.11
84.12

[edit] Bibliography

  • Vandiver, E (1989-1990). "Classical Journal" 85: 337–340. 
  • Baker, RJ; Marshall BA (1975). "The Aspirations of Q. Arrius". Historia 24: 220–231. 
  • Levin, DN (1973). "Arrius and His Uncle". Latomus 32: 587–594. 
  • Ramage, ES (1959). "Note on Catullus' Arrius". Classical Philology 54: 44–45. doi:10.1086/364324. 
Poems (Carmina) of The Roman poet Catullus
Lesbia poems 2, 2b, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 36, 37, 51, 58, 68, 70, 72, 75, 76, 79, 83, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 104, 107, 109
Invective poems 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 33, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 49, 52, 53, 54, 57, 59, 60, 69, 71, 73, 74, 77, 78, 80, 84, 88, 89, 90, 93, 95, 97, 98, 103, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116
Unusual poetic meters
 4, 8, 11, 17, 22, 25, 29, 30, 31, 34, 37, 39, 44, 51, 52, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64
Hendecasyllabic verse 1, 2, 2b, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 14b, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 58b
Elegiac couplets 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116
See also the list of poems by Catullus.
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