Me, Myself, and I: Multiple (Literary) Personalities in Catullus 35

Abstract

Traditional interpretations of Catullus 35 read it as a literary commentary on the Magna Mater poem of an unknown writer named Caecilius. This article argues that the poem is instead a metacommentary on Catullus’ own poetry. Caecilius is an alter ego of Catullus and symbolizes the “love poet” part of his poetic identity. Poem 35 initially creates an opposition between Caecilius’ love poetry and his learned Magna Mater poem, but ultimately underscores the common ground between Caecilius’ (and Catullus’) love and learned poetry.