Gaius Valerius Catullus

Gaius Valerius Catullus (/kəˈtʌləs/; c. 84 – 54? BC) was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote in the neoteric style of poetry, which is about personal life rather than classical heroes. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.

Catullus' poems were widely appreciated by other poets. He greatly influenced poets such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil. After his rediscovery in the late Middle Ages, Catullus again found admirers. His explicit writing style has shocked many readers. Indeed, Catullus' work was never canonical in schools, although his body of work is still frequently read from secondary school to graduate programs across the world.

Gaius Valerius Catullus (Classical Latin: [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs waˈɫɛ.ri.ʊs kaˈtʊl.lʊs]) was born to a leading equestrian family of 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 Gallic provinces. Catullus was raised primarily by his mother, Blandus, who exposed him to poetry and the works of Sappho and Callimachus at a young age. 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 Tibur (Tivoli).

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