Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Dedication to Cornelius
When I read "Dedication to Cornelius," I sensed that Catullus was writing ironically when he said, "Plus uno maneat perrene saeclo." Catullus' desire that his publication, which he calls nugae, lives longer than a generation seems strange because he regards his work as less valuable than Cornelius' work. Maybe Catullus is truly egotistical. Could he have been praising Cornelius, who was possibly of equal or higher social status, to prevent a possible later conflict in which Cornelius pokes fun at Catullus' less important publication? What do you think is the meaning and/or significance of this irony?
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You are observant! C. is certainly making a contrast between the scope, style, and content of his and Nepos' work. I think C. is simultaneously praising Nepos, who was a person of high social status, and making his own claim to (eternal) fame. He both admires Nepos for the scope of his ambition to write a new kind of history, and mocks him for it at the same time-- doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis! Status negotiation was almost a full-time job for Roman aristocrats, and they are very good at it. One thing you will notice as we proceed is that for Catullus and his friends, it is important to cast their work as otium (leisure time activity), nugae (trifles), and the like, to position themselves as rebels against traditional Roman verse and mores.
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