Carmen 24 –

The first of the (attributed) Juventius poems. The joke, to our taste, is a little sour:
as usual, Catullus is having fun at the expense of Furius's poverty (Krostenko 2001,
272 with n. 94), and what he is in effect telling Juventius (the family was old and
distinguished) is, "Don't give me bastard your love, he can't afford you; just leave
him a tip, he needs it."
4 Though Midas and his golden touch are familiar from Greek literature, mis is the
earliest surviving allusion to them in Rome.
25