The Passer

Passer, literally "The Sparrow," is a central character found in the poetry of Catullus, Rome's filthiest writer. The sparrow represents Catullus's primary competition for the affections of Lesbia, about whom he wrote some truly bizarre stuff.

Biography
The Passer was born around the first century BCE, although it has been theorized that it never really existed, and was but a specter of Catullus's twisted imagination. It came into the possession of Lesbia, as it was customary to keep songbirds as pets. Lesbia would often let the sparrow attack her fingers, apparently unaware of its awesome power. When Catullus showed up, writing his creepy poems, the sparrow and Lesbia began to exchange malicious gossip about him. This was likely a contributing factor to the Passer's demise.

Death/Possible Assassination
The sparrow died. We know this from a depressing poem written by Catullus, which, while openly lamenting the tragic death of the sparrow, never tells the reader exactly how the sparrow died. Coincidence? I think not. Lesbia never openly accused Catullus of the misdeed, but is does bear mention that the poet himself died under mysterious circumstances a few years later. An alternative theory suggests that Catullus and the sparrow were both murdered by Lesbia's husband, or possibly by the Ancient Roman Mafia.