midterm

PART I

1. (10 points) Translate the following.
Please write your translation next to or under the poem.

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum seueriorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit breuis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus inuidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

Let us live, My Lesbia,

And let us value all of the rumors of the old senators at one penny!

Give me a thousand kisses, and then a hundred, and then another thousand, and then a second hundred, and then another thousand, and another hundred

Then, after we have made many thousands of kisses


2. (10 points) In a five paragraph academic essay, answer the following question: Some scholars believe that although this poem is addressed to Lesbia, Catullus actually wrote it with the intention of criticizing the publicly espoused mores of the Republican Roman aristocracy. Explain how these scholars get this idea and then argue either in defense of the theory or argue against it. You must cite no less than 2 examples of grammatical or syntactical evidence from the poem to back up your claim.

Catullus was a very passionate writer. He was opinionated, witty, and unafraid to expose his true desires. This poem may have a duel meaning. The first meaning is obviously seen through his expression of his devotion and love to Lesbia. However, the second meaning is his expression of his contempt for the Roman aristocracy.

He writes “atque amemus,/ rumoresque senum seueriorum/omnes unius aestimemus assis!”. He critiques the judgmental and gossipy nature of the old men in the aristocracy. He says that he values their opinion less than how much he would value a penny. Those words vividly describe his dislike of those men.

He later says that “ne sciamus,/ aut ne quis malus inuidere possit,/ cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.” He is openly admitting that he does not care what those men think of him because he thinks that they are petty. It is almost like a slap in the face to the old men. He is disregarding what those men think


3. (10 points) Translate the following.
Please write your translation under the text.

Catullus I.I

Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
arida modo pumice expolitum?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
meas esse aliquid putare nugas
iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis
doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis.
quare habe tibi quidquid hoc libelli
qualecumque; quod, patrona virgo
plus uno maneat perenne saeclo.

Who should I give this lovely little book to?

Cornelius,

4. (10 points) Some scholars have argued that Ovid's story of Europa and the Bull is a metaphor for the Augustan Era. Do you agree or disagree? Write your response in a 5 paragraph academic essay.

Ovid’s story of Europa and the Bull can serve more purposes than mere entertainment. He may have written the story as a metaphor for the Augustan Era. It is an arguable theory, but not necessarily true.

The stories that Ovid wrote served purposes, normally teaching the importance of good morals or just for entertainment. Many of his stories were passed down through tradition. Europa and the Bull was a story about open to new ideas and not being combative and to tell the story of how Europe got its name. Europa became friends with the bull, when all the other girls were afraid of it. The Augustan Era was host to the Pax Romana, arguably the most prosperous and peaceful time in the history of the Roman Empire. However, the idea of being peaceful and open was not necessarily a new idea.

One could make the story of Europa and the Bull into a metaphor for the Augustan Era through relating the peaceful beginning and harsh end of Europa to the peaceful beginning and harsh end of the Pax Romana, but does that mean that was the conscious intention of Ovid when he was writing the story? If all of his other stories were simply stories that had simple meanings, then this story is probably no different.

“Some scholars” could argue that all of Ovid’s stories were metaphors for something because metaphors can be made from any situation, time period, or event relatively easily. Therefore, it is a great assumption to say that he was making that metaphor. If all of Ovid’s other stories were metaphors for events in Roman history then it would be more plausible that the story of Europa and the Bull is also a metaphor. However, his other stories were fables meant to be a metaphor for whatever the good moral that the story describes is or they were stories about the gods that were passed down through tradition.

While it is possible that he made the story into that metaphor, it is a stretch to say that was his intention. Scholars are right in saying that Europa and the Bull could be a metaphor for the Augustan period, but they are most likely wrong in saying that it was his purpose to make it into that metaphor.