Catullus quotes

Catullus was a renowned Roman poet, famous for his passionate and personal lyric poetry. His verses explore themes of love, loss, and the social life of ancient Rome. He influenced many later poets and is celebrated for the emotional intensity and vivid imagery of his work. Here are 25 of his quotes:

Ah, what is more blessed than to put cares away, when the mind lays by its burden, and tired with labor of far travel we have come to our own home and rest on the couch we longed for? This it is which alone is worth all these toils.

Catullus

Give up wanting to deserve any thanks from anyone, or thinking anybody can be grateful.

Catullus

I hate and love. And why, perhaps you'll ask. I don't know: but I feel, and I'm tormented.

Catullus

What he himself is, whether he is or is not, he does not know so much as this.

Catullus

Over head and heels.

Catullus

What is given by the gods more desirable than the fortunate hour?

Catullus

It is difficult suddenly to lay aside a long-standing love.

Catullus

If I have led a pure life.

Catullus

Mourn, ye Graces and Loves, and all you whom the Graces love. My lady's sparrow is dead, the sparrow my lady's pet, whom she loved more than her own eyes.

Catullus

As a flower springs up secretly in a fenced garden, unknown to the cattle, torn up by no plough, which the winds caress, the sun strengthens, the shower draws forth, many boys, many girls, desire it.

Catullus

Idleness ere now has ruined both kings and wealthy cities.

Catullus

Suns may set and rise again. For us, when the short light has once set, remains to be slept the sleep of one unbroken night.

Catullus

All right and wrong, confounded in impious madness, turned from us the righteous will of the gods.

Catullus

To this point is my mind reduced by your fault, Lesbia, and has so ruined itself by its own devotion, that now it can neither wish you well though you should become the best of women, nor cease to love you though you do the worst that can be done.

Catullus

What a woman says to her ardent lover should be written in wind and running water.

Catullus

You ask how many kissings of you, Lesbia, are enough for me and more than enough?

Catullus

If a man can take any pleasure in recalling the thought of kindnesses done.

Catullus

If anything ever happened to any one who eagerly longed and never hoped, that is a true pleasure to the mind.

Catullus

He seems to me to be equal to a god, he, if it may be, seems to surpass the very gods, who sitting opposite thee again and again gazes at thee and hears thee sweetly laughing.

Catullus

Now he goes along the dark road, thither whence they say no one returns.

Catullus

Wandering through many countries and over many seas I come, my brother, to these sorrowful obsequies, to present you with the last guerdon of death, and speak, though in vain, to your silent ashes, since fortune has taken your own self away from me-alas, my brother, so cruelly torn from me! Yet now meanwhile take these offerings, which by the custom of our fathers have been handed down-a sorrowful tribute-for a funeral sacrifice; take them, wet with many tears of a brother, and for ever, my brother, hail and farewell!

Catullus

To whom am I to present my pretty new book, freshly smoothed off with dry pumice stone?

Catullus