Catullus & the Poetics of Roma

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Focusing on the social dynamics of male interactions in ancient Rome, this book reinterprets Catullus' poems as performances of masculinity, emphasizing their competitive and self-referential nature. By moving beyond traditional Romantic and Modernist readings that prioritize the poet's relationship with Lesbia, the author highlights the significance of shorter poems aimed at other men. Utilizing contemporary models of male social behavior, the analysis reveals the complex interplay of aggression and refinement in Catullus' work, with all quoted texts translated into English.