Catullus 54 Translation

Introduction

In this poem, Catullus addresses several leaders who might be offended by his poetry. The allusions he makes in the poem include Otho, Erius, Libo, and Fuficius. At the end of the poem, Catullus mentions a general, but not by name. Most likely, that general was Julius Caesar, who Catullus was known to have disliked. 

In the first line of the poem, Catullus says that Otho has a small head. Otho was a Roman emperor for only three months during 69, when four emperors ruled Rome. He was known for being incredibly vain, which makes it ironic that Catullus mentions how small his head was, as conceited people often have big heads. 

In line two, he mentions Otho’s half-washed legs and “rustic Erius”. Calling a man rustic would be the equivalent of calling him a peasant. In line three, he refers to Libo who knows how to fart in a “subtle and smooth” way. These are all heavy insults to these three men. Libo was a member of Caesar’s family. In line four, Catullus says that by mentioning these points, he will end up being disliked by Caesar and Fuficius, who was named a senator by Caesar. All of these men had some connection to Caesar which was a top reason why Catullus disliked them. Fuficius and Otho both ended up committing suicide. 

Catullus seems to enjoy writing this poem. There is a sense of humor that pops up in the last two lines when he says that “You” will become upset by the iambics (the verses) he writes. Then, he calls the verses innocent, before he addresses the “one and only general” - who is most likely Caesar. Any poem that references farting and half-washed legs is all about mockery, and Catullus seems to enjoy mocking these men.

Carmen 54

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