The Poems of Catullus

Catullus (Catullus, Gaius Valerius); Raphael, Frederic (Tr.; McLeish., Kenneth (Tr.))

ISBN 10: 0879232625 / ISBN 13: 9780879232627

Published by David R. Godine, Publisher, U.S.A., 1979

About this Item

VG+ / VG. 1st Printing of the 1979 Godine 1st Edition thus, translated, with introduction and note, by Frederic Raphael and Kenneth McLeish. Book is straight, square, securely bound, and, except for a 2line verse printed on ffep, free of markings and other blemishes. Cover is clean and bright, with sharp corners and joints, gently bumped headcap and tail, straight spine, hinges and edges, and boldly legible, crisply distinct, lettering and design. Dust Jacket is mildly age toned (particularly noticeable to DJ interior and along edges of wraps), with rubbing and / or chipping to corners, hinges, head, tail, and up 1" of the backstrip; 1" tear (no loss) at top of rear panel; 1: circular stain on rear panel, appearing to be from a prior sticker now removed. (Please see Seller images). ISBN 0879232625. ShiroBooks, independent bookseller, takes pride in accurate descriptions, careful wrapping and safe shipping. CONTACT SHIROBOOKS PRIOR TO ORDERING if any questions or for more information, details or photos.

Seller Inventory # 003917

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Poems of Catullus
• Publisher: David R. Godine, Publisher, U.S.A.
• Publication Date: 1979
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0879232625
• ISBN 13: 9780879232627
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Very Good Plus
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 1 pound

About this title

Synopsis

Catullus, who lived during some of the most interesting and tumultuous years of the late Roman Republic, spent his short but intense life (?84-54 B.C.E.) in high Roman society, rubbing shoulders with various cultural and political luminaries, including Caesar, Cicero, and Pompey. Catullus's poetry is by turns ribald, lyric, romantic, satirical; sometimes obscene and always intelligent, it offers us vivid pictures of the poet's friends, enemies, and lovers. The verses to his friends are bitchy, funny, and affectionate; those to his enemies are often wonderfully nasty. Many poems brilliantly evoke his passionate affair with Lesbia, often identified as Clodia Metelli, a femme fatale ten years his senior and the smart, adulterous wife of an arrogant aristocrat. Cicero later claimed she poisoned her husband.

This new bilingual translation of Catullus's surviving poems by Peter Green is fresh, bawdy, and utterly engaging. Unlike its predecessors, it adheres to the principle that the rhythm of a poem, whether familiar or not, is among the most crucial elements for its full appreciation. Green provides an essay on the poet's life and literary background, a historical sketch of the politically fraught late Roman Republic in which Catullus lived, copious notes on the poems, a wide-ranging bibliography for further reading, and a full glossary.