Gaius Valerius Catullus (84 - 54 BC) was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote in the neoteric style of poetry. His poems were widely appreciated by other poets. He greatly influenced poets such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil. After his rediscovery in the late Middle Ages, Catullus again found admirers. His explicit writing style has shocked many readers. Indeed, Catullus was never considered one of the canonical school authors, although his body of work is still frequently read from secondary school to graduate programs across the world. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art. There survives no ancient biography of Catullus: his life has to be pieced together from scattered references to him in other ancient authors and from his poems. This image has been color enhanced.