Catullus 5 in Juan Gómez’s Latin Epigram to Saint Helen (1555)

Abstract

We present the first edition, translation and commentary of the epigram to Saint Helen presented by Juan Gomez to the literary contest held in Seville on June 29th 1555. We express some hypotheses about the identity of its author, and we identify the two theologians who provided their approval to the poem: Doctor Francisco Sanchez, Rector of St. Mary of Jesus College, and Dominican friar and preacher Andres Romero, professor of St. Thomas College. We analyse the techniques of imitation of famous Catullus’ fifth poem on the countless kisses, and its meaning in the social, historical and literary context of this epigram. Other literary sources both ancient and modern, the content and the main stylistic and metric features of these verses are discussed too. In addition, we mention the poets who had imitated in Latin verses, translated or commented the poems in hendecasyllables and other Catullus’ poems from the late fifteenth century to the mid-sixteenth century in Spain, especially in Seville and Alcala de Henares, but also in Salamanca and in some cities of the Kingdom of Aragon.