Catullus and Lesbia's Sparrow | History Today
A Roman poet transformed an unremarkable bird into a contested symbol of eroticism. No sparrow has provoked as much affection or controversy as that commemorated by the Roman poet Catullus (c.84-54 BC). The pet of an unnamed puella – presumably his beloved ‘Lesbia’ – the bird in question appears in two short verses, each written in charming hendecasyllables. In the first, Catullus addresses the sparrow ( passer) itself, as a means of discreetly declaring his affection for Lesbia. He recounts how tenderly she would hold it to her breast ( in sinu) whenever she felt the need to play ...
Source: historytoday.com