Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet
The Ancients1 Marras 2020

Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet

If you're looking for a raunchy Roman poet, look no further than Catullus. Born into one of the most exciting periods in Roman history, in the early 1st century BC as the Roman Republic started to sing its swansong, Catullus was an aristocrat who moved in powerful circles. He was known to Cicero; he dined with Julius Caesar even after he’d mocked the great leader in verse. Catullus was well-connected, but it was his abiding love for a woman he called Lesbia (probably Clodia Metelli, a powerful woman herself) that inspired much of his poetry, which survived in a single manuscript of 116 verses.


Catullus was revolutionary, bringing a new type of poetry to the fore in ancient Rome. Often his poems were deeply personal, filled to the brim with emotion. Rarely did the young man hold back when pouring his heart out into his verses. Friends and enemies were targeted in sexy and scurrilous poems that continue to shock readers to this day. Nevertheless Catullus' legacy was far-reaching. From Ovid to Byron, Catullus has inspired many of those famous romantic poets that followed him.


To talk through the life of Ancient Rome's 'bad boy poet' (to quote our current Prime Minister Boris Johnson), it was an honour to interview Daisy Dunn, a leading classicist and Catullus' 21st century biographer. In this podcast Daisy brilliantly talks through the life of Catullus and his remarkable legacy. This was a brilliant chat and I hope you enjoy as much as Daisy and I did recording it.


Daisy is the author of Catullus: Rome's Most Erotic Poet.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(608)

Megalodon

Megalodon

As part of our week of Sharks on the Ancients, today we tell the story of Megalodon, the largest living marine animal, ever.Does this colossal prehistoric shark still lurk beneath the waves? Tristan H...

20 Heinä 202540min

The First Sharks

The First Sharks

Long before the first dinosaurs, the first trees or even the formation of the rings of Saturn, our planet's oceans were ruled by prehistoric sharks.Across two special episodes of The Ancients this wee...

17 Heinä 202551min

The Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba

A figure of wealth, wisdom, and global fascination - how did the Queen of Sheba become one of history’s most enduring royal icons?In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Jillian Stinchcomb to ...

13 Heinä 202552min

Doggerland: The North Sea Atlantis?

Doggerland: The North Sea Atlantis?

Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Rachel Bynoe who has literally dived into the enigmatic world of Doggerland, a prehistoric landmass now submerged beneath the North Sea.They discuss how archaeological ...

10 Heinä 202547min

Hannibal's March on Rome

Hannibal's March on Rome

It was perhaps Hannibal’s greatest gamble — after years of victories, not least his famed trek across the snow-capped Alps, could he strike at Rome itself?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hugh...

6 Heinä 202555min

Plato's Republic

Plato's Republic

Today we journey into the creation of Plato's Republic. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. James Romm to discover how Plato's encounters with the tyrant-ruled city of Syracuse and its rulers, Dionysius t...

3 Heinä 202555min

The Apocryphal Gospels

The Apocryphal Gospels

If you've heard of the mysterious and often controversial Apocryphal Gospels, you may have been told that they weren't important, or useful; that they 'didn't make the cut' to be included in the Canon...

29 Kesä 202538min

Seahenge

Seahenge

As a 4,000-year-old timber circle uncovered on a Norfolk beach, Seahenge is one of Britain’s most remarkable prehistoric finds. Discovered in 1998, it drew quick comparison as a 'Stonehenge by the sea...

26 Kesä 202545min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
rss-ikiuni
totuus-vai-salaliitto
konginkangas
tsunami
rouva-diktaattori
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
rss-peter-peter
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
apinan-vuosi
historiaa-suomeksi
rss-kikka-forever
rss-outoja-uutisia-pohjois-suomesta