Eros Unbound. Catullus in Luigi Settembrini's Neoplatonists

Abstract

Luigi Settembrini’s Neoplatonists was famously published by Raffaele Cantarella in 1977, no fewer than forty years after the discovery of the manuscript. On close inspection, two of the erotic tale’s most graphic scenes build on Catullus 55 and 56, something that has so far gone unnoticed. The implicit reference to Catullus 55 also resonates with Settembrini’s first meeting with his wife as recounted in his memories, thus revealing a complex intertwining of life and literature. Moreover, Settembrini’s implicit reading of the poem helps shed light on its elusive meaning, in line with the most recent scholarship on Catullus. By appropriating the Catullus’ poems, more importantly, Settembrini promotes an astonishingly modern form of free and egalitarian sexuality and love, which builds on the classical world while at the same time offering a few gentle corrections. Contemporary debates on classics and cancel culture could greatly benefit from Settembrini’s sympathetic and yet far from uncritical approach.