Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Persians: Cattulus’ poem smearing Magians as incestuous (early first century BCE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified April 19, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=19033.

Ancient author: Catullus (early first century BCE), Poems 90 (link).

Comments: Catullus uses this poem to put down Magians and Persian rites by way of reference to supposed incestuous practices. For quite a different take on Romans’ relation to Persian divination, see Varro’s discussion of Numa as deriving his forms of divination from Persia (link coming soon).

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From the unholy union of Gellius and his mother let a Magian be born, and learn the Persian divination. For a Magian must be the offspring of mother and son, if the impious ritual obligation of the Persians is true, so that their child may worship the gods with acceptable hymns, while melting the rich fat in the altar flame.

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Source of translation: F.W. Cornish, Catullus, Tibullus, and Pervigilium Veneris, LCL (Cambridge, MA: HUP, 1913), public domain, adapted by Harland.