Catull. 23 and Martial. An Epigrammatic Model and its ‘Refraction’ throughout Martial’s libri

Catull. 23 is a special case in the history of relationships between Martial and his favorite epigrammatic auctor, Catullus. The poem is a well-appreciated one by Martial: he frequently alludes to it by reproducing single features or poetic iuncturae, if not its overall framing. Through his whole career of epigrammatic poet (starting from 1, 92), Martial follows suggestions, imagery, and vocabulary he has himself gradually built up and consolidated by alluding to Catull. 23: this set of features is superimposed on the original Catullan model and seems to do almost single body with it (see 12, 32).