Ava Ratcliff L&S Arts & Humanities
At Parte Ex Alia: Reading Internal Transformations in Catullus 64
My research is on Catullus 64, a Latin epyllion, or “little epic poem.” Most people know it as a major inspiration for Virgil’s Aeneid. However, while Catullus 64 follows follows epic conventions of meter and theme, it is much shorter than poems like the Aeneid– barely 400 lines! Catullus 64 is further unique because over half of the poem is an ekphrasis, or vivid description, usually of art, and in this case of a woven bedspread. The most extensive part of this ekphrasis is a speech by Ariadne, the Minoan princess and sister to the Minotaur. Among other things, I hope to investigate the relationship between this material ekphrasis and the immaterial yet extensive speech of characters like Ariadne.
Already, many scholars have posed convincing intertextual readings of this poem, focusing on Catullus’ allusions to works such as Argonautica, Medea, The Iliad, and more. My research instead moves “intratextually” and asks how we can understand Catullus 64 as an independent object which articulates a self-contained value system and goals. I will primarily focus on a formal analysis of how structural, syntactic, and rhythmic elements shape our understanding of the poem as a whole.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for supporting my work this summer! The opportunity to focus on developing my own research questions, methodologies, and arguments has clarified my goal of pursuing academia after I graduate from Berkeley this spring. This year, I am excited to continue working with my advisor on my Honors Thesis in Latin. In my thesis, I will build off of my summer findings and more deeply consider the links between ekphrasis and ecology in Catullus 64. After that, I hope to pursue a graduate degree in Greek & Latin languages. Again, I am so grateful for your sponsorship this summer, and cannot wait to continue researching!