Play on the proper names of individuals in the Catullan corpus: wordplay, the iambic tradition, and the late Republican culture of public abuse

Ingleheart, J.

Abstract

The paper explores the significance of names and naming in Catullus. Catullus’ use of proper names, and in particular his play on the connotations of the names of individuals who are attacked within his poems, has not been fully explored to date, and the paper identifies several examples of such play which have not previously been recognized. The paper examines Catullan wordplay in the context of both the iambic tradition and the public abuse culture of the late Roman Republic.

Citation

Ingleheart, J. (2014). Play on the proper names of individuals in the Catullan corpus: wordplay, the iambic tradition, and the late Republican culture of public abuse. The Journal of Roman Studies, 104, 51-72. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075435814000069

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 6, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jun 13, 2014
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Nov 10, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 11, 2015
• Journal: Journal of Roman Studies
• Print ISSN: 0075-4358
• Electronic ISSN: 1753-528X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 104
• Pages: 51-72
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075435814000069
• Keywords: Catullus, Etymology, Wordplay, Cognomina, Iambic poetry, Republican oratory
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1442383