Memorie catulliane, fra Ennio e Seneca. Appunti sul c. 76

This paper focuses on Catullus c. 76, analysing both its models and its influence on early Imperial literature. As for the models, with special reference to ll. 19-22, we can find Theognides, Sappho, and, more surprisingly, an allusion to Ennius’ tragedies, which is justified by the desperation expressed by the poet in his invocation to the Gods for letting him free from his passion for Lesbia. As for the influence, we find echoes of Catullus 76, with other poems (8, 85, 92), in Seneca’s Epistle 22, where the philosopher exhorts his readers to get rid of their passions, making a comparison between those which depend on their ambition and those which depend on their lover. The peculiar intersection of different literary genres related to Catullus 76 offers an evidence of the richness and complexity of his poetry.