Love and hate in Rome: Catullus and Lesbia

Aims 

This course aims to:  

• introduce you to the poetry of Catullus and its context  
   
• help you navigate Classical literature (and mythology) more generally  
   
• introduce you to the forms of Classical poetry and our modes of analysing it 

Content 

The poetry of Catullus serves as a superb introduction to the world of Ancient Greek and Roman poetry in general because Roman poets considered themselves an extension of the Greek poetic tradition and they explicitly built on that tradition in both the form and content of their work. The small but highly varied corpus of Catullus in particular gives us an instant insight into what Classical poetry is capable of. Everything is here from the inconveniences of daily life to the heights and depths of love and loss—with a serious foray into Classical Epic and myth (poem 64) thrown in the mix. And yet in its own right the poetry is compelling: Catullus’ range of emotional expression surprises and enchants us today and when we look closely at the poetry we see those elements of Classical society that make it so different from our own—and those elements in particular that took Rome from Republic to Empire.  

Presentation of the course  

Each class will be presented as an informal lecture with PowerPoint slides and an accompanying handout. You are encouraged to ask questions at any time and are not required to bring anything to class. 

Course sessions 

1. Introduction to the poetry of Catullus and its literary and historical context.  
    
2. Good Lesbia: a look at Catullus’ ebullient celebrations of his love for Lesbia. 
    
3. Bad Lesbia: we turn to the uncertainty and finally the collapse of the relationship.  
    
4. Good friends: Catullus’ close friends (to say nothing of his brother) have been immortalized  
   in touching poems that allow us a close-up view of Roman life.  
    
5. Bad friends: no less memorable are the shockingly rude poems dedicated to humiliating  
   his enemies. 

Learning outcomes 

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.  

 The learning outcomes for this course are:  

• familiarity with the poetry of Catullus  
   
• familiarity with the place of the poetry in its literary and socio-political context  
   
• familiarity with key terms of literary analysis

Required reading 

The poems of Catullus, translated by Guy Lee, (Oxford World’s Classics) 

It is important to consult more than one translation of a Classical text: the Penguin translation is also good. 

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.