Roman Lyric Poetry: Catullus to Ovid and the Augustan Age

The Foundations of Latin Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry was, in its origin, poetry dedicated to song. The instrument accompanying the human voice used to be the lyre. Hence, lyric poetry is, first of all, a song that can become a poem or even a hymn expressing deep feelings.

Catullus and Early Roman Lyric Poetry

Catullus was born in Verona, where he met Claudia (likely Lesbia), the wife of Metellus. He is considered the introducer of Greek lyric poetry to Rome. Strictly speaking, his work includes the Nuptial Song. With the exception of mythological poems (e.g., The Marriage of Peleus and Thetis), his work is primarily elegiac or epigrammatic.

His elegy is related to grief, but the predominant theme is love. His poems are usually addressed to Lesbia. Regarding his epigrams, Catullus belonged to a group called the poetae Novi (New Poets). They chose the shortest poem, the epigram (scarcely two verses), as the most suitable form to express poetry as an art of formal perfection.

The Second Generation of Elegiac Poets (Augustan Age)

The elegy truly develops during the Augustan generation, characterized by pacifist and apolitical men and women. The major theme is love—a total love to which everything, including sex, must be subordinated.

We cannot always believe what the poet sings. The passion certainly exists, but it is often treated as a literary convention. Another novelty to highlight is the large number of women readers during this period.

Tibullus: Contempt for War and the Celebration of Love

Tibullus expresses his contempt for war, disease, old age, and death. His poetry often contrasts the turmoil of public life with the peace of the countryside. He celebrates love, which gives meaning to life. Delia is his beloved.

Propertius: The Conflict of Love and Virtue

Propertius, addressing Cynthia, seeks to establish a love based on foedus (a sacred pact), guaranteed by a treaty with the gods, and substantiated by castitas (chastity) and fides (fidelity).

However, this desire for virtue is often in contradiction with Cynthia's sensuality and beauty, and also with the idea of marriage. His poems feature jealousy, tears, emotional torture, breaks, and passionate reconciliation.

In the third book, the theme of dismissal or rejection is most prominent. Later, his works are devoted to national and mythological poems.

Ovid: Convention and Controversy

Ovid is perhaps the last of the Augustan age poets, participating in a more relaxed lifestyle. He was accused of perversion by Augustus, leading to his eventual banishment.

In his work Amores (Loves), Corinna has no real existence; she is a pure convention. For Ovid, love poetry is not necessarily the cause or reflection of the poet's personal existence.

Ovid's Mythological and Didactic Works

Ovid was a prolific writer of mythological and didactic poetry, including:

• Heroides: Poetic epistles written from the perspective of mythological heroines (e.g., Dido, Sappho).
• Metamorphoses: A work unified by the theme of changes—a human transforming into an animal, a statue, or another form—spanning from the dawn of the world to the deification of Augustus.
• Fasti: A project that illustrates Latin myths and customs, following the order of the Roman calendar.
• Didactic Works: Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love), Medicamina Faciei Femineae (Cosmetics), and Remedia Amoris (Remedies for Love) were entertainments that clashed with the task of restoring traditional morality encouraged by Augustus.

These controversial works led to Ovid being banished to Tomis, far away on the Black Sea coast, where he eventually died.