Gaius Valerius Catullus

Born around 84 BCE in Verona, Catullus lived in the last decades of the Roman Republic and died young, probably around 54 BCE. Only a few facts about his life are certain, but ancient tradition and his own poems place him among the educated, socially connected circles of Rome.

He is especially remembered for poems about a woman he calls Lesbia, whose identity remains uncertain. Those poems move through desire, jealousy, delight, and heartbreak with unusual directness, while other pieces range from playful miniatures to savage personal attacks and moving elegies, including a famous poem mourning his brother.

Catullus is often regarded as one of ancient Rome's finest lyric poets. His surviving collection is small, but its emotional intensity, polished style, and willingness to mix high art with everyday feeling gave it a lasting influence on Latin poetry and on love poetry far beyond the Roman world.