Catullus 83

This is the first poem that Catullus lets us know that Lesbia has a husband, and the first that shows Lesbia even knows he exists. He is convinced that because Lesbia is saying awful things to her husband that she is trying to hide her love for Catullus from him. We don't know if this is true or if Catullus is crazy. While Catullus is talking about her husband he calls him a foolish man and a mule. This shows a bit of jealousy on Catullus's part. Jealousy seems to be anoverriding theme in the first three poems we have read. He is jealous of everyone who gets to be around Lesbia. It seems a little bit creepy to me that Catullus knows she is saying these things just like he creepily watched her and her husband talking in Catullus 51. I feel like he is always sitting in the background watching her. Even in Catullus 2 he is watching her play with her pet bird. Even though Catullus seems happy about Lesbia saying these things it hurts him as well. I don't think anybody could listen to someone cursing about you nonstop and not be negatively affected by it. These feelings show that Catullus isn't completely blinded by the thought of Lesbia being in love with him he knows it might not be true.