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The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus/113

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Text and Translation

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Meters - Elegiac couplets

Line Latin Text English Translation
1 Consule Pompeio primum duo, Cinna, solebant In Pompey's first consulship, Cinna,
2 Maeciliam: facto consule nunc iterum two men frequented Maecilia: now appointed consul again,
3 manserunt duo, sed creverunt milia in unum the two have remained, but against each one a thousand have grown.
4 singula. Fecundum semen adulterio. The seed of adultery is fertile.

Translation notes

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Line 1

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  • Consule Pomeio primum: the year of the first consulship of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, 70 B.C.
  • Solebant: soleo, meaning "to be used to" or "to be wont", here used euphemistically

Line 2

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  • Maeciliam: A well-known Roman name. Possibly a misspelling of Mucillam, a diminutive of Mucia, and therefore a possible reference to Mucia Tertia, the daughter of Quintus Mucius Scaevola and the third wife of Pompey; she was divorced by the latter on accusations of adultery.
  • facto consule nunc iterum: the year of Pompey's second consulship, 55 B.C.

Line 3

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  • cereverunt milia in unum/singula: a thousand (rivals) have sprung up against each man, the implication being that between the consulships, Maecilia's lovers have grown from two to two thousand.

Line 4

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  • adulterio: dative of possession; est is omitted
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