The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/113
Text and Translation
[edit | edit source]Meters - Elegiac couplets
| Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Consule Pompeio primum duo, Cinna, solebant | In Pompey's first consulship, Cinna, |
| 2 | Maeciliam: facto consule nunc iterum | two men frequented Maecilia: now appointed consul again, |
| 3 | manserunt duo, sed creverunt milia in unum | the two have remained, but against each one a thousand have grown. |
| 4 | singula. Fecundum semen adulterio. | The seed of adultery is fertile. |
Translation notes
[edit | edit source]Line 1
[edit | edit source]- Consule Pomeio primum: the year of the first consulship of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, 70 B.C.
- Solebant: soleo, meaning "to be used to" or "to be wont", here used euphemistically
Line 2
[edit | edit source]- Maeciliam: A well-known Roman name. Possibly a misspelling of Mucillam, a diminutive of Mucia, and therefore a possible reference to Mucia Tertia, the daughter of Quintus Mucius Scaevola and the third wife of Pompey; she was divorced by the latter on accusations of adultery.
- facto consule nunc iterum: the year of Pompey's second consulship, 55 B.C.
Line 3
[edit | edit source]- cereverunt milia in unum/singula: a thousand (rivals) have sprung up against each man, the implication being that between the consulships, Maecilia's lovers have grown from two to two thousand.
Line 4
[edit | edit source]- adulterio: dative of possession; est is omitted