# Catullus 53 in Latin & English- Risi nescio quem modo e corona

Catullus 53 is a humorous compliment to his friend Licinius Calvus, whose brilliant speech against Vatinius continued to be studied by students of oratory for generations. (Tacitus Dial. 21)

Risi: I laughed

Nescio quem: someone (I don’t know who), somebody

Modo: just now

Corona: a circle of auditors, especially at a trial.

Mirifice: wonderfully, marvellously, causing wonder or admiration.

Vatiniana: of Vatinius, the same corrupt crony of Caesar mentioned in poem 52. He was prosecuted by Calvus three times.

Crimina: crimes, the charges against Vatinius.

Meus: my, my own, my dear

Calvos: = Calvus, in early Latin O was sometimes used instead of U. Calvus, here around twenty-three years old, is Catullus’ friend mentioned in poem 14 and 50.

Vatiniana meus crimina Calvos: note the ABAB word order.

Explicasset: (= explicavisset) had unfolded, set forth, explained; pluperfect subjunctive.

Admirans: being astonished at, regarding with admiration; note the repetition of the root MIR from “mirifice” above.

Ait: he said, can be past tense (perfect) or present.

Haec: these things

Manus tollens: lifting up his hands in amazement.

Di = dei

Salaputium: a humorous, probably obscene word, possibly derived from “salax” (lustful, lecherous) and “putus” (a boy). It’s found only here in all of Latin literature, except when Seneca the Elder (54 BC-39 AD) quoted Catullus when discussing Calvus: “erat enim parvolus statura, propter quod etiam Catullus in hendecasyllabis vocat illum…

- Kind: Short
- Year: 2022
- Runtime: 1 min
- By: David Amster
- Archive: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catullus_53_in_Latin_%26_English-_Risi_nescio_quem_modo_e_corona.webm)
- Licence or status: [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) (as the archive states it)
- Credit: David Amster
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/commons/121445764?play=1)