Horace and Catallus

Catallus and Horace both express their anger of being wronged by a friend or figure in their life. By comparing Catallus’ poem 23 and Horace’s epode VIII : Rogare longo, the reader can get a sense of the difference in the author’s tone of writing. While both authors express discontent with certain figures in their life, Catallus does it in a comedic and public way, Horace does it in more serious, private way.

As a lyric poet, Horace generally has a more restrained voice than Catallus. However, epode VIII, Rogare longo is an exception to his style of writing. The sense of invective is the strongest here. Horace goes on an explosive rant, calling the prostitute a “stinking slut” with a “ raw and filthy arsehole gaping like a cow’s between your wizened buttocks”. Horace rips on the woman’s bodily features and sarcastically says, “May you be blessed with wealth!” and “may no other wife go on parade weighed down with fatter pearls!”  The wealth he wishes upon her refers to the money that she will make continuing to be a prostitute and a slut. He is bitter because all the woman wants from him is his money and sex whereas he needs more in order to give himself to her. This poem is the exception to most of Horace’s works because his aggression is really shown here and shows that he is absolutely done with her and does not want her in his life anymore.

Catallus proceeds to insult one of his friends, Furius. He says,

            “You have Furius, neither slave nor strongbox,

            neither bugs nor spider, no, no kindling-

            yet you do have a father and a stepmom”.

Catallus makes fun of Furius by saying that although he is poor he at least still has his family with him. He says at least there are “no collapsing buildings no domestic crimes like murder”. Catallus tries to make Furius’s misfortune seem less bad by comparing it to more devastating events. All this making fun leads up to Catallus’ main point of his discontent with Furius’ nagging for money when he says, “and please stop nagging me for that hundred thousand, since you’re quite well-headed enough as it is already”. Catallus sarcastically means to say that he already has so much with his family and he hasn't had some natural disaster hit him that he should be content with his life and stop asking Catallus for money.  This poem is much more light-hearted in the way that the tone is more comedic and soft.

Horace expresses his discontent in a very direct way and says it how it is while Catallus expresses it more in a way that requires closer reading to understand his discontent with his friends in life. While both are upset with some figure in their lives, their way of expressing their discontent differs.