Phasēlus ille, quem vidētis, hospitēs,

ait fuisse nāvium celerrimus,

neque ūllius natantis impetum trabis

nequīsse praeterīre, sīve palmulīs

opus foret volāre sīve linteō.  5

Et hoc negat minācis Hādriāticī

negāre lītus īnsulāsve Cȳcladas

Rhodumque nōbilem horridamque Thrāciam

Propontida trucemve Ponticum sinum,

ubi iste post phasēlus anteā fuit 10

comāta silva; nam Cytōriō in iugō 

loquente saepe sībilum ēdidit comā.

Amastri Pontica et Cytōre buxifer,

tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima

ait phasēlus: ultimā ex orīgine 15

tuō stetisse dīcit in cacūmine,

tuō imbuisse palmulās in aequore,

et inde tot per impotentia freta

erum tulisse, laeva sīve dextera

vocāret aura, sīve utrumque Iuppiter

simul secundus incidisset in pedem;  20

neque ūlla vōta lītorālibus deīs

sibi esse facta, cum venīret ā marī

novissimō hunc ad usque limpidum lacum.

Sed haec prius fuēre: nunc reconditā

senet quiēte sēque dēdicat tibī,  25

gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris.

    Catullus honors the ship that carried him back from Bithynia in 56BCE. He had just completed a year’s administrative work there for the governor, C. Memmius (see Poems 10 and 28). Catullus models this poem after a tradition of dedicatory inscriptions that chronicled a worker’s life and commemorated the tools of their labor. 

    Meter: iambic senarii

    1: Phasēlus ille: “that swift passenger ship”; a vessel in the shape of a kidney-bean, named after the Greek φάσηλος (“bean”)

    1: hospitēs: “friends” or “strangers”; refers to people one meets on a journey

    2: ait: “(it/the ship) says”; introduces indirect statement (AG §583)

    2: celerrimus: “the fastest” or the “swiftest”; superlative of celer; Catullus retains the nominative (rather than the accusative celerrimum) in this indirect statement

    3: ūllius natantis… trabis: “of any bark swimming (along)”; genitive singular phrase; natantis is present active participle

    4: nequīsse praeterīre: “(nor) was (it) unable to surpass”; another indirect statement with an implied subject

    4: sīve…sīve: whether…or

    4: palmulīs: “with little oar blades”; palmula is the diminutive of palma; used only here and below at line 17

    5: opus foret: “there would be a need (to)”; foret is alternate 3rd singular imperfect subjunctive of esse

    5: linteō: “(or) with a canvas sail”

    6: hoc: “this”; direct object of negāre (line 7)

    6: minācis Hādriāticī…lītus: “the shore of the threatening Adriatic”; lītus is the first of 5 accusative subjects of negāre (indirect statement)

    7: -ve: or

    7: īnsulās Cȳcladas: “Cycladic islands”; group of islands in the Aegean Sea; the list of places in lines 7-9 possibly traces the boat’s journey home from Bithynia; according to the poem, the boat  traveled south along the western coast of Asia minor, stopping at Rhodes, proceeding across the Aegean through the Isthmus of Corinth, and then north on the Adriatic to Italy

    8: -que: and 

    8: Rhodum nōbilem: “famous Rhodes”; another island in the Aegean

    horridam Thrāciam Propontida: “rough Thracian Propontis”; Propontida refers to the Propontis, the ancient name of the Sea of Marmora between the Black Sea and the Aegean (Garrison)

    9: trucem Ponticum sinum: “harsh Pontic bay”; refers to the Black Sea (add note on various meanings of sinus)

    10: iste post phasēlus: “that one, later a boat”

    10: anteācomāta silva: “previously a leafy forest”

    11: Cytōriō in iugō: “on the Cytorian ridge”; wooded Mt. Cytorus is located on the southern side of the Black Sea

    12: loquente…comā: “with its foliage speaking/rustling”; ablative singular

    12: sībilum ēdidit: “it uttered a hissing”; sībilum is the direct object of ēdidit

    13: Amastri Pontica: “Pontic Amastris”; vocative singular; Amastris was a port city along the southern coast of the Black Sea

    13: Cytōre buxifer: “boxtree-bearing Cytorus”; vocative singular; Cytorus is another famous port city, famous for its boxwood

    14: tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima: “(that) these things have been and are most well-known to you”; indirect statement introduced by ait (line 15); cognitissima is a superlative of cognita; tibi, although singular, refers to Cytorus and Amastris collectively

    15: ultimā ex orīgine: “from its earliest origin”

    16: stetisse dīcit: “it says that it stood”; the first of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit 

    17: imbuisse palmulās: “(that) it dipped it oars”; the second of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit (line 16)

    18: tot per impotentia freta: “through so many violent seas”

    19: erum: “master” or “owner”; direct object of tulisse; could indicate that Catullus was the actual owner of the ship; erum tulisse is the third of three indirect statements introduced by dīcit (line 16)

    19: laeva sīve dextera vocāret aura: “whether a left (port) or right (starboard) wind called”

    20: utrumque…in pedem: “against each sheet”; refers to the sheets that secure the lower corners of a square sail (Garrison)

    20: Iuppiter…secundus: “favorable weather” or “a following wind”; Jupiter is often invoked as a personification of weather

    22: neque ūlla vōta … esse facta: “nor (does it say that) any prayers were made” 

    22: lītorālibus deīs: “to the gods of the shore”; sailors implored these deities for safe passage to the shore

    23: sibi: “on its own behalf”; dative of advantage 

    23: ā marī novissimō: “from the most distant sea”

    24: ad usque: “continuously to” or “all the way to”

    25: haec prius fuēre: “these things were earlier”; fuērefuērunt

    25: reconditā…senet quiēte: “it grows old in hidden repose”

    26: tibi: “to you”; refers to Castor and Pollux collectively

    27: gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris: Castor and Pollux, the mythological patrons of mariners and sea travelers (literally: “twin Castor and twin of Castor”); vocative singulars; gemelle is the diminutive of gemine

    phasēlus –ī m.: a light ship, so-called because of its resemblance to a green bean

    natō natāre natāvī natātus: swim; float

    trabs trabis f.: tree trunk, timber; by metonymy, boat; penis, "shaft"

    nequeō nequīre nequiī/nequīvī nequitum: to be unable (to)

    praetereō praeterīre praeterīvī/praeteriī praeteritus: go beyond, pass

    palmula –ae f.: the palm of the hand; oar; palm tree or leaf

    volō volāre volāvī volātus: fly 5

    linteum –ī n.: linen cloth; napkin; sail

    mināx –ācis: menacing, threatening

    (H)adriāticum –ī n.: Adriatic, as neut, subst., the Adriatic Sea

    Cyclades –um f.: an island of the Cyclades; pl. the Cyclades, islands in the Aegean surrounding Delos

    Rhodus –ī f.: the island of Rhodes

    horridus –a –um: rough, rugged, wild, uncouth, harsh

    Thrācia –ae f.: Thrace, the land in southeastern Europe north of the Hellespont

    Propontis –idis f.: the Propontis or Sea of Marmora, between the Black Sea and the Aegean

    trux trucis: harsh, fierce, cruel, savage

    Ponticus –a –um: of or on the Black Sea

    anteā: adv. (ante + ea), previously 10

    comō –āre –āvī –ātum: be covered with hair or foliage

    Cytōrius –a –um: of Cytorus, a mountain in Paphlagonia east of Amastris, part of the coastal ridge along the southern shore of the Black Sea

    sibilus –ī m. : any sibilant sound; hissing, whistling

    Amastris –is f.: the capital of Paphlagonia

    buxifer –era –erum: producing box-trees (the Buxus yields boxwood, a close-grained, heavy, tough hardwood)

    cōgnitus –a –um: known; sexually intimate

    orīgō –inis f.: origin, beginning 15

    cacūmen –inis n.: peak, tip

    imbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: drench, steep; dip or wet for the first time; inaugurate, give first experience

    impotens –entis: powerless; lacking in self-control, hence headstrong, wild, violent, intemperate

    fretum fretī n.: any place where the sea boils up; sea

    erus –ī m.: master

    laevā: on the left

    Iuppiter Iovis m.: Jupiter or Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods; by metonymy, the weather, wind, sky

    lītorālis –e: of the shore 21

    limpidus –a –um: clear, transparent

    lacus lacūs m.: lake

    reconditus –a –um: hidden away, secluded

    seneō –ēre: to be old 25

    quiēs quiētis f.: sleep, repose

    dēdicō dēdicāre dēdicāvī dēdicātus: dedicate, consecrate

    gemellus –a –um: twin (adj. or subst.)

    Castor –oris m.: son of Leda and Tyndareus, twin brother of Pollux; one of a twin constellation used in navigation; patron (with his brother Pollux) of seafarers and ships

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