Catullus and Roman Comedy: Theatricality and Personal Drama in the Late Republic

This book explores Catullus' engagement with Roman comedy, showing how it provided him with a common cultural vocabulary to explore private ideas about love, friendship, and social rivalry. It demonstrates that Roman comedy continued to present writers with social, cultural, and artistic value after the second century BCE.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 227 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In the past century, scholars have delved into the rich tapestry of Roman comedy, unearthing a diverse array of characters within the poetry of Catullus. Despite the growing recognition of comedy's allusive presence in Catullus' work, an in-depth exploration of his engagement with this foundational Roman genre has yet to be undertaken. This book aims to provide a comprehensive account of Catullus' utilization of Roman comedy, unveiling that individual points of contact with the theatre in his corpus are integral to a larger, more sustained poetic program than previously recognized.

Roman comedy, as this book argues, offered Catullus a shared cultural vocabulary, derived from the public stage and embraced by his audience. It provided him with a platform to explore and convey private thoughts about love, friendship, and social rivalry, employing a language that resonated with his contemporaries. Moreover, Roman comedy continued to hold significant social, cultural, and artistic value for writers even after the second century BCE, serving as a rich source of inspiration and reflection.

Through a meticulous examination of Catullus' poetry, this book seeks to shed light on the intricate ways in which he incorporated Roman comedy into his work, creating a tapestry of literary allusions and references that enrich our understanding of both Catullus and the broader context of Roman literature. By exploring the interplay between comedy and other genres, such as elegy and satire, this book offers a fresh perspective on Catullus' artistic vision and his contribution to the rich tradition of Roman poetry.

Weight: 330g
Dimension: 227 x 151 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108813747
Edition number: New ed