C. Valerius Catullus, Carmen 115: To Mentula: On Wealth
A third poem on Mamurra under the same nickname, about the size of his estate. Croesus, the proverbially rich king of Lydia, is named, and the Hyperboreans, a legendary people of the far north.
Tier 1
Mentula habet circiter trīgintā iūgera terrae herbōsae, quadrāgintā agrōrum: cētera sunt maria.
cūr nōn potest habēre plūs dīvitiārum quam Croesus,
Mentula quī habet tot bona, tot terrās herbōsās, tot agrōs, tot magnās silvās
et altās palūdēs quae adsunt ūsque ad Hyperboreōs
et habet mare ad Ōceanum?
omnia haec sunt magna, sed Mentula ipse est vērē maximus,
nōn est homō, sed magna mentula.
Tier 2
Mentula habet īnstar trīgintā iūgera prātī, quadrāgintā arvī: cētera sunt maria.
cūr nōn potis sit superāre Croesum dīvitiīs,
quī in ūnō saltū possideat tot bona, prāta, arva, ingentēs silvās
altāsque palūdēs ūsque ad Hyperboreōs
et mare ad Ōceanum?
omnia haec sunt magna, tamen ipse est ultrō maximus,
nōn homō, sed vērō magna mināx mentula.
Tier 3 - Carmen Ipsum
- Mentula habet īnstar trīgintā iūgera prātī,
- quadrāgintā arvī: cētera sunt maria.
- cūr nōn dīvitiīs Croesum superāre potis sit,
- ūnō quī in saltū tot bona possideat,
- prāta arva ingentēs silvās altāsque palūdēs
- ūsque ad Hyperboreōs et mare ad Ōceanum?
- omnia magna haec sunt, tamen ipse est maximus ultrō,
- nōn homo, sed vērō mentula magna mināx.
Original draft written by Robert Amstutz
