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Catullus 58b is a poem written by the Roman poet Catullus (ca. 84 BC – ca. 54 BC). In this poem he tells that even if he had the power of mythological figures, such as Perseus and Pegasus, still he would he grow weary of searching for his friend, the Camerius of Catullus 55. The meter is hendecasyllabic, the same as Catullus 55. There is debate as to the provenance of the poem. Some scholars have tried to tie it to Catullus 55, though the only connection may be that the writer chose to cut it out of 55. Others believe that it was an earlier draft of the poem. Still others feel it was a separate poem entirely and that it stands well as such. A discarded view is that Catullus did not write 58B.

Latin version

Non custos si fingar ille Cretum

non si Pegaseo ferar volatu

non Ladas ego pinnipesue Perseus

non Rhesi nivease citaeque bigae

adde huc plumpipedas volatilesque

ventorumque simul require cursum

quos iunctos Cameri mihi dicares

defessus tamen omnibus medullis

et multis languoribus peresus

essem te mihi amice quaeritando

References

1. Catullus, Gaius Valerius. Garrison, Daniel H. "The Student's Catullus." Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture, Volume 5. pg 122. Norman University of Oklahoma Press. 1995.
2. Benediktson, D. Thomas. "Catullus 58 B Defended." Mnemosyne, Fourth Series, Vol. 39, Fasc. 3/4 (1986), pp. 305-312 on ITHAKA. Online. March 12, 2010.
3. Free text Latin version

Sources

• Catullus 58 B. Online translation. accessed March 11, 2010.
• C. Valerius Catullus, Carmina (ed. E. T. Merrill)

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