Λογοτεχνική κριτική παρά Κατούλλω
Part of : Πλάτων : περιοδικό της Εταιρείας Ελλήνων Φιλολόγων ; Vol.ΚΖ, No.53-54, 1975, pages 27-50
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27-50
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Literary critique in Catullus
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Within the present study the poems of Catullus are examined, in which he exercises a systematic literary critique of his contemporary Latin poets and prose writers or formulates—usualy briefly—critique around Greek poets. Thus Catullus praises his historian friend and poet Cornelius Nepos and judges in an ironic tone his own poetic work (poems No. 1 and 14a), he praises his friend Caecilius and expresses his admiration towards the grand poetess of Lesbos Sappho (poem 35), he praises his poet friend Helvius Cinna and condemns the bad poets Hortensius, Volusius and the Greek Antimachus (poem 95). He also praises the poetic skill and the rhetorical ability of his friend Licinius Calvus ( poems 50 and 53 ), estimates the rhetorical ability of Cicero and his own poetic ability (poem 49), judges his own personal poems and formulates general critique about poetry (poem 16), condemns the prolix poet Suffenus (poem 22), rejects the bad poets Caesius, Aquinus and Suffenus (poem 14), condemns the cold prose writer Sestius (poem 44) and rejects the coarse chronicles of Volusius (poem 36). From the study of these poems of Catullus as well as from verses of his other poems on certain occasions we arrive at the following conclusions : 1. The critique of Catullus is found within the content of the preceding literary tradition, the Greek iambic poetry and the Roman comedy and satire. 2. Excluding the esthetic reasons, perhaps personal oppositions or rivalry sometimes result in the severe condemation of several writers by Catullus. 3. The literary critique of Catullus is based on the principles of the arts and theory of the «νεώτεροι» poets who succeed in this Kallimachus and the Alexandrinians. 4. The principles and theories of Catullus around art are applied and realized in the poems of the «poetae novi» wich are commended at every possible chance. 5. The first artistic principle of the «νεώτεροι» is the small form of the literary work (ολιγόστιχος ποιητής) which is strongly defended by Catullus (poem No. 1) turning against the crude prolix writers (poems 22 and 95). 6. Second principle of the school of the «νεώτεροι» is that the writer must know well the literary tradition and know his subject, that is to be «poeta doctus» (see poems 1, 22 and 35) and work out carefully each part of the work (poem 1 : laboriosis, poem 35 : incohata). 7. The lighter poetic form (nugae : poem No. 1, versiculi: poems 16 and 50), the erotic poems (poeta tener: poem 35, versi molliculi : poem 16) as well as the joyfull convivial poems of the leisure (poem 50 : otiosi, per iocum, per vinum) have their place in literature. Literature and poetry are independent and they need not reflect nor follow the poet's ethics and moral ideas (poem 16). 8. According to Catullus and the «νεώτεροι», the literary works must have lepor or lepos (poems 1, 16, 36 and 50), venustas (poems 22, 35, 36), sal (poem 16) and facetiae (poems 22 and 36). The ones against the above properties frigus (poem 44), inficetiae (poems 22 and 36), rus (poems 22 and 36), venenum (poems 14 and 44), pestilentia (poem 44), horror (poems 14, 14a and 22) and the bombast (poem 95 : tumidus) are condemned severely by Catullus. 9. Even in the verses and poems where he expresses strong criticism against Others, Catullus does not overlook the principles of the «νεώτεροι», and his attacks have spirit and humor (poem 16 : sal). 10. The critique of Catullus is often included in a masterly manner within strange borders or united towards unimportant subjects (poems Nos. 14, 36 and 44), or suddenly looses its strength towards the end of the poem (poem 22). 11. The perfect form, the faultless versification, the elegance and the spirit of the poems of Catullus in comparison with the ill written works of other writers indicate the superiority of Catullus and the school he represents and constitutes the strongest condemation of his rivals «in the same arts», against who Catullus turns in his critique.
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