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Catullus
101 The
poem known to us as Catullus 101 is often called "Ave atque Vale" or,
in English, "Hello and Good-bye."
Throughout the 2000 years since this poem was first written, it has
become one of the most well-known of his works. It was written to his brother who had died in Troy in
about 57 B.C. (In contrast, the Trojan War occurred almost 1000 years before in
a city near the same site). His
brother's body had to wait almost a year before receiving the proper burial from
a family member. In 56 BC, Catullus
was on a government assignment in Bithynia, a Roman province near Troy.
At that time, he gave his brother the proper burial so that his brother's
soul could finally rest in peace. The
intensity of Catullus’ feelings at that time is saved forever in this poem.
"Ave atque Vale" Per
multas terras et per multas aquas
1
venio, frater, ad tumulum miserum tuum.
2 Ego
tibi donum mortis dono,
3
et cineribus tuis mutis dico.
4 Fortuna
mala te cepit a me.
5
Heu, miser frater, vale.
6 Nunc
quam parentes nostri docuerunt,
7
Hoc donum tristem tibi pono.
8 Accipe,
frater, lacrimas meas.
9
In perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.
10 Our
quiz on this poem will be two weeks after we begin poetry.
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