Editing Catullus (section)

==Life==
Gāius Valerius Catullus was born to a leading [[Equestrian (Roman)|equestrian]] family of [[Verona, Italy|Verona]], in [[Cisalpine Gaul]]. The social prominence of the Catullus family allowed the father of Gaius Valerius to entertain [[Julius Caesar]] when he was the [[Promagistrate]] (proconsul) of both [[Gaul|Gallic]] [[Roman province|provinces]].<ref name=bio>{{cite book |chapter=Gaius Valerius Catullus |url=http://www.bookrags.com/biography/gaius-valerius-catullus/ |title=Encyclopedia of World Biography |access-date=13 September 2014}}</ref> In a poem, Catullus describes his happy homecoming to the family villa at [[Sirmio]], on [[Lake Garda]], near Verona; he also owned a villa near the resort of [[Tivoli, Italy|Tibur]] (modern Tivoli).<ref name=bio/>

Catullus appears to have spent most of his young adult years in Rome. His friends there included the poets [[Licinius Macer Calvus|Licinius Calvus]] and [[Helvius Cinna]], Quintus Hortensius (son of [[Quintus Hortensius|the orator]] and rival of [[Cicero]]), and the biographer [[Cornelius Nepos]], to whom Catullus dedicated a ''[[libellus]]'' of poems,<ref name=bio/> the relation of which to the extant collection remains a matter of debate.<ref>M. Skinner, "Authorial Arrangement of the Collection", pp. 46–48, in: ''A Companion to Catullus'', Wiley-Blackwell, 2007.</ref> He appears to have been acquainted with the poet [[Marcus Furius Bibaculus]]. A number of prominent contemporaries appear in his poetry, including Cicero, Caesar and [[Pompey]]. According to an anecdote preserved by [[Suetonius]], Caesar did not deny that Catullus's lampoons left an indelible stain on his reputation, but when Catullus apologized, he invited the poet for dinner the very same day.<ref>Suetonius ''Divus Iulius'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:phi,1348,011:73 73]".</ref>

[[File:Catullus-at-Lesbia's-large.jpg|thumb|left|''Catullus at Lesbia's'' by Sir [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]]]]
The "[[Lesbia]]" of his poems is usually identified with [[Clodia Metelli]], a sophisticated woman from the aristocratic house of patrician family Claudii Pulchri, sister of the infamous [[Publius Clodius Pulcher]], and wife to [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer]] (consul of 60 BC). In his poems Catullus describes several stages of their relationship: initial euphoria, doubts, separation, and his wrenching feelings of loss. Clodia had several other partners; "From the poems one can adduce no fewer than five lovers in addition to Catullus: Egnatius (poem 37), Gellius (poem 91), Quintius (poem 82), Rufus (poem 77), and Lesbius (poem 79)." There is also some question surrounding her husband's mysterious death in 59 BC: in his speech ''[[Pro Caelio]]'' Cicero hints that he may have been poisoned. However, a sensitive and passionate Catullus could not relinquish his flame for Clodia, regardless of her obvious indifference to his desire for a deep and permanent relationship. In his poems, Catullus wavers between devout, sweltering love and bitter, scornful insults that he directs at her blatant infidelity (as demonstrated in poems 11 and 58). His passion for her is unrelenting—yet it is unclear when exactly the couple split up for good. Catullus's poems about the relationship display striking depth and psychological insight.<ref>{{cite book|last=Howe|first=Quincy Jr.|title=Introduction to Catullus, The Complete Poems for American Readers|year=1970|publisher=E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc.|location=New York|pages=vii to xvii}}</ref>

[[File:Roman Empire - Bythinia et Pontus (125 AD).svg|thumb|right|[[Bithynia]] within the Roman Empire]]
He spent the year from summer 57 to summer 56 BC in [[Bithynia]] on the staff of the commander [[Gaius Memmius (praetor 58 BC)|Gaius Memmius]]. While in the East, he traveled to the [[Troad]] to perform rites at his brother's tomb, an event recorded in a moving poem (101).<ref name=bio/>

No ancient biography of Catullus has survived. His life has to be pieced together from scattered references to him in other ancient authors and from his poems. Thus it is uncertain when he was born and when he died. [[Jerome]] stated that he was born in 87 BC and died in Rome in his 30th year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Catullus |title=The Poems of Catullus: A Bilingual Edition |publisher=University of California Press |year=2005 |isbn=9780520242647 |pages=1 |translator-last=Green |translator-first=Peter}}</ref> However, Catullus's poems include references to events of 55 BC. Since the Roman [[fasti consulares|consular fasti]] make it somewhat easy to confuse 87–57 BC with 84–54 BC, many scholars accept the dates 84 BC–54 BC,<ref name=bio/> supposing that his latest poems and the publication of his ''libellus'' coincided with the year of his death. Other authors suggest 52 or 51 BC as the year of the poet's death.<ref>M. Skinner, "Introduction", p.3, in: ''A Companion to Catullus'', Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.</ref> Though upon his elder brother's death Catullus lamented that their "whole house was buried along" with the deceased, the existence (and prominence) of ''Valerii Catulli'' is attested in the following centuries. [[T. P. Wiseman]] argues that after the brother's death Catullus could have married, and that, in this case, the later ''Valerii Catulli'' may have been his descendants.<ref>T. P. Wiseman, "The Valerii Catulli of Verona", in: M. Skinner, ed., ''A Companion to Catullus'', Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.</ref>