Gaius Valerius Catullus, 4 "The Boat"

Catullus praises a retired boat for its works and gives a history of where it came from according to the boat.

 

Tier 1

illa navis, quam vos videtis, hospites, ait se fuisse celerrima navium omnium,

 

ait nullum natantem lignum eam capere potuisse, sive navis acta est palmulis sive velis.

 

et illa navis ait litus minacis Hadriatici non negare hoc, item insulas Cycladas vel nobilem Rhodum vel horridum mare Thracium vel ferox Ponticum mare,

 

Ponticum sinum, locus ex quo ista navis venit ante navis tua erat; nam in monte Cytorio saepe navis (ut arbor) dixit loquentibus foliis.

 

navis ait haec fuisse et esse notissima tibi, o Amastri Pontica et buxifer Cytore:

 

navis dicit se ex ultima origine sua stetisse in tuo apice, dicit se imposuisse palmulis in tua aqua,

 

et dicit se dominum portavisse per tot fera freta, sive sinister sive dexter ventus flaret, sive ventus secundus cecidisset in utrumque velum simul;

 

et navis dicit nulla vota facta sibi deis maritimis, cum veniret a mari recentissimo usque ad hunc clarum lacum.

 

sed haec fuerunt in temporibus prioribus: nunc occulta quiete senior fit et dedicat se tibi, o gemini fratres, Castor et Pollux.

 

Written by Robert Amstutz

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