Catullus 58b is a

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

written by the Roman poet

Catullus Gaius Valerius Catullus (; 84 - 54 BCE), often referred to simply as Catullus (, ), was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote chiefly in the neoteric style of poetry, focusing on personal life rather than classical heroes. His s ...

(ca. 84 BC – ca. 54 BC). In this poem he tells that even if he had the power of mythological figures, such as Perseus and Pegasus, still he would he grow weary of searching for his friend, the Camerius of

Catullus 55 The poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus was written towards the end of the Roman Republic. It describes the lifestyle of the poet and his friends, as well as, most famously, his love for the woman he calls Lesbia. Sources and organization Catull ...

. The meter is

hendecasyllabic In poetry, a hendecasyllable (sometimes hendecasyllabic) is a line of eleven syllables. The term may refer to several different poetic meters, the older of which are quantitative and used chiefly in classical (Ancient Greek and Latin) poetry, and ...

, the same as Catullus 55. There is debate as to the provenance of the poem. Some scholars have tried to tie it to Catullus 55, though the only connection may be that the writer chose to cut it out of 55. Others believe that it was an earlier draft of the poem. Still others feel it was a separate poem entirely and that it stands well as such. A discarded view is that Catullus did not write 58B.

Latin version

:Non custos si fingar ille Cretum :non si Pegaseo ferar volatu :non Ladas ego pinnipesue Perseus :non Rhesi nivease citaeque bigae :adde huc plumpipedas volatilesque :ventorumque simul require cursum :quos iunctos Cameri mihi dicares :defessus tamen omnibus medullis :et multis languoribus peresus :essem te mihi amice quaeritandoFree text Latin version
/ref>

References

Sources

C. Valerius Catullus, Carmina (ed. E. T. Merrill)
C058B {{latin-stub