Catullus 1.9-10

Abstract

The vulgate reading patrona virgo at Catullus 1.9 should be taken as representing an attempt to decipher a corrupted scribal inversion of rogo, patrone, a plea addressed to the poem’s dedicatee, Cornelius Nepos (“accept this book… please, my patron”).  The nature of such patronal support is examined, along with some other recent studies of lines 9-10.