Zur Prosodie, Metrik und Interpretation von Catulls Carmen 116

The article intends to contribute to clarifying the background and possible functions of the prosodical and metrical peculiarities in the third and eighth line of Catullus' last poem. After the analysis of the two lines concerned the conclusion can be drawn that by the (not at all Ennian) elision of -s in tu dabi supplicium in line eight and by the not Callimachean (and not Ennian either) versus spondiacus of the third line in his Callimachean poem Catullus might have condemned and stigmatised the style and character of his enemy Gellius as rustic: Thus, for the last time, he could stand up again for his vital idea of urbanity.