Out of Time

Peter continues following in the footsteps of Theseus, taking Caitlin to a far away land (future NYC) and leaving her there. Hiro also leaves Yaeko in feudal Japan, having defeated White Beard and Kensei, who he at last gave up on. Like Catullus' hopes for Lesbia, Hiro's were long lasting but finally defeated. And Claire leaves her family for freedom and West. Dang. It sure is hard to be a hero's girl, always being dragged away from home and ditched when destiny calls. Back in present-day NYC, Matt proves the power of love, defeating his dad through his fatherly love for Molly. Unlike Catullus, he gets past the betrayals of the past and begins a new life as a father. Niki also begins to move on, defeating the phantom DL (in reality Maury) by infecting herself with the virus. The only problem: this strain has no cure. Mohinder is spinning from the discovery that nothing is black and white; betrayal comes at his from all sides, when he discovers that Mr. Bennet has been killing people in his quest to bring down the Company (or to save his family, or do whatever it is in his twisted mind). Like Catullus, he cries out against all of the intrigue and evil he finds, trying to do the right thing and eventually telling Bob the truth about why he joined the Company.

The Line

The Heroes begin to prove that what defines them is not their outward appearance and not even their abilities, but their values, who they are on the inside. Maya and Mr. Bennet both show a darker side. Under Sylar's influence, Maya uses her deadly power to kill the border patrol, while in the Ukraine, Mr. Bennet kills his former mentor to cover his trail as he searches for the paintings. Lesbia proved that venustas is not enough; she used it to gain a string of lovers and ended up being hated and ostracized, a path that both characters are on. Claire also uses her power for personal gain. When she is not deemed extraordinary enough to join the cheerleading squad, she stages her on death to get the drunken head cheerleader off the squad. Mohinder continues to walk the straight and narrow, refusing to yield when he is ordered to give Monica the virus in order to stop her ability. Finally, Yaeko discovers that Hiro is the one she truly loves, choosing his venustas and devotion over the looks and flashy power of Kensei. However, a scorned lover is not to be trifled with. Catullus fought with words, but Kensei proves capable of much, much more, going from the betrayed to the betrayer as he turns Hiro over to White Beard. In Carmen 77, Catullus calls traitors "crudele venenum" and "pestis amicitiae" or a cruel poison and the plague of friendship, and Hiro and Kensei's betrayals, one unintentional and the other malicious, threaten to destroy each other and all of Japan.

Fight or Flight

New, unguessed powers appear in this episode. Monica discovers that she was correct in thinking that there was something more, as she discovers that she is a "muscle mimic" and is taken in by Mohinder. Meanwhile, Elle looks cute and harmless, but she proves ruthless, killing Ricky without hesitation. She reflects the worst sort of Catullan betrayal. Although she is not a friend like Rufus or lover like Theseus, she does much more lasting harm. Peter looks into his identity and rediscovers another power: painting the future. But will Caitlin's "pretty boy" lead her on the same path that Theseus led Ariadne? He already has a good start on the killing her brother part. Speaking of family, Matt and his dad face off as Matt seeks to free Molly from the "Nightmare Man's" clutches. He discovers that there is far more to his power than he had imagined but ends up in a nightmare of his own.

Kindred

Kindred continues to display Heroes who are not as they appear, even to those who know them. Claire and West continue their romance based not on appearances (though both are strong in that category) but on something more. For Catullus and Lesbia it was venustas, but for Claire and West, it is their powers. However, the painting at the end showing Claire's father's death leads you to wonder if their romance will, like that of Catullus and Lesbia, end in betrayal with West as the murderer.
As Catullus shows, wounded love can often lead to hate, either towards the lover (if they betrayed you) as in Lesbia, who became the "pessima puella" of Carmen 36, or towards the one who caused this, as in Catullus's rant against Rufus in Carmen 77, who he calls a "venenum" and a "pestis" (5-6). When Alejandro is taken by the police, Maya reveals a frightening willingness to use her ability to kill his captors in order to rescue her beloved brother. She appeared to be an innocent victim of her deadly power, but this assumption is turned on its head.
Peter cannot hide from what is inside of him, displayed by the fact that even as he gains the tatoo and entrance into a new band of brothers and begins his romance with their beautiful sister, the tatoo turns into the Heroes symbol, then disappears. Will his powers along with his fate cause him to turn Theseus and leave his Acme behind in Ireland?
The reappearance of Sylar, the major villain of last season, shows the need for something beneath the surface, though in the opposite way. He continues to have all of his malice, killing Candice, but no longer has any powers, leaving him helpless.
Finally, Hiro's love for Yaeko leaves him unable to let her go, similar to Catullus' struggle, shown through his many poems on the topic, to let Lesbia go.

Lizards

Heroes continue to belie their appearances with their abilities in "Lizards". Hiro displays his inner fortitude and romanticism in addition to his ability as he takes on the role of Takezo Kensei to win the Battle of Twelve Swords. Peter surprises his captors with his myriad of abilities but impresses with his willingness to save their sister instead of escaping. More in line with the sinister Catullan theme of betrayal is Mohinder, who poses as a bumbling professor while in fact a shrewd manipulator to bring down "the Company".

Premier Episode!

The Heroes Season 2 Premier was full of secrets and surprises. Two major characters stand out for not being as they appear. The first, probably the biggest surprise of the episode, was the identity of Takezo Kensei. Known for being the legendary Japanese Sword Saint, he was Hiro's hero until Hiro traveled back in time and met him. Not only is he not famous, brave, or charming, but Kensei is white! His case is the opposite of Catullus' Suffenus, who seemed urbane and charming but was revealed as otherwise in his writing. Kensei is wonderful in legends and stories but a letdown in real life. The other character is Claire Butler (formerly Claire Bennet). Hunted by "the Company" for her ability to regenerate, she is now in hiding in Costa Verde, CA. She is trying to imitate Quintia in Catullus 86, that is, she wants to be well-thought of but nothing special. However, Claire is not trying to hide her venustas but her ability. However, as Lesbia found, lovers are apt to notice such special qualities, and potential romantic interest West is already onto Claire's secret.