< The Poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus
Text & Translation
| Line | Latin Text | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cum puero bello praeconem qui videt esse, | What should one who sees an auctioneer with a fair boy, |
| 2 | quid credat, nisi se vendere discupere? | believe, but that he is intending to sell himself? |
Connotations of The Text
Line 1
praeconem - auctioneer
The joke here is that Juventius is selling himself to an auctioneer. i.e. at the best price he can get for his services.
Line 2
vendere - to sell [himself]
Catullus suspects that his friend Juventius has been eloping with other men, as is mentioned in Poem 24 and Poem 81. Young boys were permitted to satisfy older men but a boy who sold himself was nothing more than a whore.
External Links
- Catullus 106 A Translation of Catullus 106
- Catullus 106 Another Translation of Catullus 106
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