Catullus 12

Catullus 12 is a poem by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus in which he chides Asinius Marrucinus for stealing one of his napkins, calling it uncouth and noting the disapproval of his brother, [Gaius Asinius Gaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)|Pollio (consul 40 BC)|Pollio].
The meter of this poem is hendecasyllabic, a common form in Catullus's poetry.

Analysis

Catullus reverses the praenomen and nomen in the first line. While "Asini Marrucine" could be translated simply as "Asinius Marrucinus", the inverted word order introduces the alternative meaning "Marrucinus of a jackass".
Napkins in Ancient Rome were handmade and therefore far more valuable than they are today; also, Catullus has a sentimental attachment to the napkins, as they were a gift from two close friends, Fabullus and Veranius.
In comparison to Catullus's other invective poetry, this is relatively light: the main point of the poem could be to praise Pollio rather than to chide Marrucinus.