Gaius Valerius Catullus

1 9.9

A Roman poet who wrote short, very emotional love poems to a woman called Lesbia

proper noun

: Cayo Valerio Catulo

Gaius Valerius Catullus is celebrated for his emotionally charged verses dedicated to Lesbia.

Examples

Many students of Latin literature read the poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus in their original language.
Gaius Valerius Catullus wrote passionate love poems that many admire for their emotional depth.
The works of Gaius Valerius Catullus provide valuable insight into Roman society and personal relationships.
The works of Gaius Valerius Catullus are still studied today.
Did you read any poems by Gaius Valerius Catullus?
Students of ancient literature often analyze the works of Gaius Valerius Catullus to understand his poetic style.
The letters by Gaius Valerius Catullus reveal much about the romantic ideals of his time.

Surface Forms

Gaius Valerius Catullus main

Morphology

Gaius + Valerius + Catullus

This is a full proper name composed of personal names; knowing the individual name forms does not allow a B1 learner to infer the biographical information (that he is a Roman poet from c.84–c.54 BC). Proper names are arbitrary labels rather than compositional lexical phrases, so the meaning cannot be derived from the constituents.

Etymology

Gaius Valerius Catullus was the full Roman name of a famous poet. His last name Catullus may come from an old Latin word for 'little puppy' or 'young one', and that small, personal picture helps explain his very personal love poems to 'Lesbia' and why we remember him as a love 'poet'.