Catullus 42
poem by Catullus
Catullus 42 is a Latin poem of twenty-four lines in Phalaecean metre by the Roman poet Catullus.
Text
Analysis
E. T. Merrill describes the female figure of the poem as "an unknown woman, apparently a courtezan with whom Catullus has quarrelled, [who] refuses to return to him his tablets, and hence these verses are marshalled to enforce the demand." He believes the woman was "certainly not Lesbia, for on no occasion does Catullus speak of her or to her in a tone of careless brutality, without any trace of former regard." Some critics, especially comparing verse 5 with Catullus 43.3 and Catullus 43.6, have thought her to be Ameana, but the position of Catullus 42 between two others concerning her is perhaps an indication that such was not the opinion of the original editor of the liber Catulli.
References
Sources
Burton, Richard F.; Smithers, Leonard C., eds. (1894). The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. London: Printed for the Translators: for Private Subscribers. pp. 77–78.
Merrill, Elmer Truesdell, ed. (1893).
The public source identifies “Catullus 42” as poem by Catullus. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Catullus and poem.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Catullus 42”, the useful work is to connect “poem by Catullus” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 2, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q111021435. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1894 and 1893.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Catullus 42”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Catullus 42 primary sources, Catullus 42 archive and Catullus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Catullus 42”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Catullus 42” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.