Priapic Imagery in poetry as a basis
for a Patriarchal Roman Society
Throughout the poems of Catullus, there are obvious and
detailed references to the priapic imagery prevalent in previous
Greco-Roman poetry. These poems often seem basely obscene, but usually
perform a much more crucial task. The empowerment of the male,
especially in phallic symbolism, mirrors the way in which males dominated
Roman society. Throughout the republic, all the senators were male, and
all important rights, such as landholding, were passed from father to
son. Widows could only gain control of land if there were no other
surviving male relatives, a law that obviously was meant to establish a
patriarchal powerbase. In Republican Rome, due at least in part to the
legal importance of males, the ideology centered around male power
becomes entirely based upon phallic symbolism. Throughout the remains of
Pompeii paintings can be seen that emphasize the importance of the
phallus in the everyday life of the Roman citizen. Whether these gods
were meant to keep away evil, bring good fortune (economically speaking),
or provide fertility, their importance illustrates the typical Roman
attitude on sexual performance, emphasizing the role of the male and
typifying it as a struggle rather than as an art of love, as the Greeks
would have portrayed it.
Throughout his poetry, Catullus makes no attempt to hide his baser
instincts, often using vulgar language and offensive innuendoes. In
poems such as the oft-quoted XVI, which states that "I'll bugger you, and
stuff your gobs,/ Aurelius Kink and Poofter Furius," (1-2), Catullus,
though obviously toned down in translation, is demonstrating physical
prowess in the only way available, an affirmation of his manhood. By
reminding the reader of his power, Catullus embraces the concepts
demonstrated throughout the patriarchal Roman society. These phallic
ideas represent the continuous sexual urges forcefully brought forward by
the conditioning of the Roman consciousness. The pictures that remain in
towns such as Pompeii clearly emphasize the power of the male, especially
the tremendous length of the male phallus, which represents the base
strength of the man.
The debasing of the women of Rome
is also evident in Catullus' poetry, through a larger sense of women as the whores
of society. This lowering of their position allows Catullus to begin his poem
XLI with the unflattering "Ameana, the female fuck-up. . . That girl with the
unattractive nose," (1, 3). This blatant disregard for tact allows the modern
reader to understand the truly menial position regarded most women in Catullus'
Rome.
Catullus' attraction, from a historical perspective, is that he is "the
first Roman to give artistic (and truly national) expression to the
experience of his inmost heart," (Kiefer: 185). The frankness of his
works allow for an unprecedented insight into the relationships between
men and women in the late Republic. Although Kiefer proposes Catullus as
a gentle, naive, and whimsical poet, clearly there is a darker side, for
the hatred that Catullus expresses towards his enemies does not come from
the same side of him as the thousand kisses do. Throughout his writings,
Catullus mimics the popular and patriarchal society that surrounds him,
utilizing violence and sexual aggression to overcome his enemies and
whispering sweet nothings to his love. By degrading others, Catullus
mimics the political hierarchy in Rome, one that was held in place by
male dominance of the society. This dominance was emphasized by the
phallus, which became symbolic and implied domination of weaker, or
'smaller' beings.
To the main page
The Life of Catullus
Examples of Catullan poetry
The Life of Lesbia
The Life of Luxury
A list of works cited