Birth
Catullus
was born in or near Verona, in northern Italy.
Education
Nearly all the biographical information about him comes from his own poetry, which survived in just one manuscript, itself the copy of a copy. His family was wealthy and of
equestrian status, his father numbering
Julius Caesar among his friends. His easy familiarity with Greek literature and culture suggests that he received the traditional education of a wealthy Roman.
Links with Caesar
Suetonius tells us that Catullus offended Caesar with one of his poems, but that Catullus apologised, and Caesar quickly forgave him, and continued to accept his father’s hospitality thereafter.
Poetry, Bithynia and Lesbia
Most of his datable poetry falls into the decade between 60BC (24) and 50BC (34). Between 57BC (27) and 56BC (28) he was in
Bithynia on the staff of the provincial governor, by which time he had already started and probably ended his tempestuous relationship with a married woman (called
Lesbia in his poems).
Death
The fact that there are no references to events after 54BC (30) in his poetry seems to support the ancient biographical tradition that he died young.
Catullus Biography : Links
For more information on Catullus, visit : http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/
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