E. T. Merrill, Commentary on Catullus, Poem 69

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A bit of personal satire directed probably against M. Caelius Rufus; see Intr. 59. Caelius is generally known as an exquisite and a lady-killer —a reputation probably better deserved than that indicated in this satire.

[3] non si: following a preceding negation (nulla), as in Catul. 48.5; Catul. 70.2; Catul. 88.8.

[3] rarae vestis: i.e. the delicate and translucent Coan robes; cf. Ov. Am. 1.5.13 “deripui tunicam: nec multum rara nocebat” ; Hor. S. 1.2.101 “Cois tibi paene videre est ut nudam” .

[3] labefactes: corrupt; cf. Cic. Clu.194 “fidem pretio labefactare conata sit” .

[4] perluciduli: ἅπαχ λεγόμενον as diminutive; but cf. Sen. Epist. 90.45 “non aurum nec argentum nec perlucidos lapides” .

[4] deliciis: cf. Catul. 2.1n.; Hor. Carm. 4.8.10 “animus deliciarum egens” .

[6] caper: a common figure for this particular odor; cf. Catul. 37.5; Catul. 71.1; Hor. Ep. 1.5.29 “nimis arta premunt olidae convivia caprae” .

[7] neque mirum: cf. Catul. 23.7n.

[8] quicum: feminine, as in Catul. 66.77, but rare in this gender.

[9] interfice: carrying on the figure in bestia.

[10] fugiunt: on the indicative instead of subjunctive in indirect questions in archaic and colloquial Latin see Draeger Hist. Synt. 2. §463.1 e.

Catullus. Catullus. E. T. Merrill. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1893.

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