It cannot be denied that a powerful influence was exerted by the Lesbian poetess Sappho over all of the poetry of Catullus. In his poem 51, Catullus uses the pseudonym Lesbia as a compliment to Sappho, meaning the woman of Lesbos, which was her place of birth. When using the name Lesbia, Catullus does not only seems to be speaking of his love for his mistress, but at the same time, also appears to be invoking the figure of Sappho (Greene 133). The influence of Sappho that runs through the collection can also be seen in 11, while the poems 5 and 7 also celebrate Catullus' love for Lesbia. Perhaps a major indication of Sappho's imprints on the poetry of Catullus is the fact that his poems contain similar allusions to the goddess of love as those found in Sappho's poems.
If Sappho and Catullus are compared to each other, what is particularly striking is that she was the first in love lyrics among the Greeks, and he was the first among the Romans. It is particularly noticeable that Catullus seems to be catching the beauty of the evening star from Sappho, and like Sappho, his poems are adorned with a flower here and there. The imprint of Sappho's ideas on the poetry of Catullus, or of her references to nature, is more discernible than just juxtaposition or translation of words. For instance, in Fragment 32, which is Sappho's Ode to Hesperus, there is “Fairest of all the stars,” while, in Catullus 62, he writes, “Hesperus, what more welcome fire than thine shines in the sky?” Similarly, Sappho writes in Fragment 149, “Hesperus, bringing back all [],” while in Catullus 62, he writes “Vesper adest, [] tandem lumina tollit.” Here, inspired from Sappho, Catullus sympathizes with the beauty of nature. Both poets paint a discerningly graphic picture.
Surely, many other likenesses of similarities can be found scattered here and there in the shorter poems of Sappo and Catullus. However, in order to discern if Catullus was a disciple of Sappho, then perhaps longer poems by each poet must be examined side by side. For instance, Catullus 64, about Peleus and Thetis getting married, is his longest poem and has the same motive as Fragment 66, which is Sappho's longest poem about Hector and Andromache getting married. The opening of both poems is nautical: Peleus and his Argonaut comrades bring Thetis back from a Colochian expedition by ship to Thessaly, as Hector and his companions returning from Thebe bring back Andromache by ship to Ilium. Similarly, Sappho describes the robes worn by the guests, the gifts they bore, and goblets and other ornaments in lines 8 to 10. On the other hand, in lines 42 till 49, Catullus uses similar descriptive phrases for the depiction of Peleus' palace while also mentioning that the guests bore gifts
Nonetheless, in both the poems, the richness of color in the atmosphere is identical: gold, embroidery, ivory, purple, and silver. As both poets conclude their poems, Sappho ends with “[hymning] the praise” of the godlike couple, and similarly, Catullus proceeds to “hymn the praise” of the newlyweds, as well. Moreover, the spirit of the final hundred lines of Catullus 64 and the references to Hesperus, to the happy newlyweds, to the Trojans, are alike the references Sappho that Sappho makes. For instance, in Fragment 47 from Sappho's Book I, she writes we maidens spend [] sweet as violets. A nuptial circumstance such as this one also recurs in not only Catullus 64, but also in his other longer poems, quite frequently.
Thus, it is not surprising that when thinking of Catullus, Sappho seems to come to mind, just as when thinking of Sappho, one cannot help but recall Publius Ovidius Naso. Even the treatment of passion of love is similar in the poems of Sappho and Catullus, i.e. if their poems are compared from that aspect. Nonetheless, in terms of the selection of earthly and celestial beauties, resemblances can be observed in the poems of both poets. This leads to the conclusion that the heart, mind and soul of Catullus were indeed closest to the sympathies of Sappho. It would be difficult to assert that imagery, such as the ones compared in this short essay, were based elsewhere and that Catullus had twisted them from within himself. Artists do often imitate, and Catullus was a deep artist, and it is not surprising that he imitated Sappho, also because has been regarded as a sovereign model that could be boasted by the world.
Works Cited
"Catullus Poem 61, Lines 162-231." VROMA. VROMA. Web. 7 Feb 2014. <http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/061c.html>.
"Catullus Poem 62." VROMA. VROMA. Web. 7 Feb 2014. <http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/062.html>.
Edmonds, J. M. Sappho in the Added Light of the New Fragments. Deighton Bell, 1912. Print.
Greene, Ellen. "Chapter 8. Catullus and Sappho." Trans. ArrayA Companion to Catullus. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. 133. Print.
