Lesbia

Lesbia is the mistress to which the Roman poet Catulle (87 - 54 before J. - C.) dedicates of many poems. One knows of it only what can be deduced from the poems of Catulle. Its name suggests that it is a prostitute of low level. According to Apulée, an author of Africa which lived well later (v. 125-v. 170), “Lesbia” was actually a pen name invented by Catulle. It is the subject of approximately half of the 118 poems which reached us. Catulle would have given the name of Lesbie to its beautiful in the honor of the Greek poetess Sapho. The latter lived on the island of Lesbos and held a school for women; where they learned the erotism and poetry.

Lesbia is traditionally identified with Claudia, sister of the demagog Clodius Pulcher, is continued by Cicéron in Pro Caelio , although this conclusion misses obvious evidence, and is disputed by a minority of specialists.

See too

  • Martial evoked it in an epigram (Book VI, 34):
Give me, Diadumène, kisses supported. How much? you say.
.
I do not want any as much as those which Lesbia, through prayers, gave to the end Catulle

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