C. Widmann (The Pluriglot) Profile picture
Bavarian or something. Polyglot on a quest to find out how many languages can fit into one human brain.
Apr 26, 2023 14 tweets 3 min read
Ancient insults: Catullus

Latin is a sacred language, but make no mistake: It has profanity. Let's start with insults from just one author, in just one short book.

This thread is going to be
sesquipedalis - a foot and a half long.

#langtwt Valerius Catullus wrote beautiful love poems to a woman he calls Lesbia. And some choice insults after she dumped him.

But Catullus doesn't discriminate. He also insults his rivals in love and poetry, the thief who stole his best handkerchief, and Iulius Caesar.