<p>For the second half of their <em>Among the Ancients</em> series, Emily and Tom move to Ancient Rome, starting with the late Republican poet Catullus. Described by Tennyson, somewhat misleadingly, as ‘the tenderest of Roman poets’, Catullus combined a self-conscious technical virtuosity with a broad emotional range and a taste for paradox, often using obscene diction to skirt across the boundaries of gender and aesthetics.</p><p>Non-subscribers can only hear extracts from most of the episodes in this series. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:</p><p>Directly in Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://lrb.me/ataapple" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/3pJoFPq</a></p><p>In other podcast apps: <a href="https://lrb.me/atasignuppod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lrb.me/closereadings</a></p><p>Further Reading in the LRB:</p><p>Elspeth Barker:</p><p><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v14/n19/elspeth-barker/o-filth...