The elegies of propertius, with english notes by f. His first book of elegies to cynthia won him the patronage of maecenas and established his reputation as a passionate, witty, selfabsorbed, and learned poet. By book 2 around 26 bc he seems to have gravitated, as poets in that period did, towards the circle of virgils patron maecenas, who was a political adviser to the emperor, and was where both the literal and cultural wonga was. For most, the genre is defined by the love poems addressed to a mistress whose identity is concealed by a pseudonym, and for none of the surviving elegists is this more true than for propertius and cynthia, who debuts in the first line of propertius opening book. Sextus propertius the elegies world public library. This edition makes a demanding and rewarding text more accessible and more intelligible. Any reader approaching propertius first book will discover a cynthia who has a. It is divided into six chapters, preceded by an introduction and followed by an epilogue. Propertius elegies book 4 classical literature cambridge. It also includes 12 illustrations, as well as abundant and interesting notes at the end of the volume.
Elegies book iv cambridge greek and latin classics 9780521525619. Rendered into english by a poet who is also one of the nati. The elegies of propertius, with notes and metrical versions of select elegies by nott and elton. He was a friend of the poets gallus and virgil and, with them, had as his patron maecenas and, through maecenas, the emperor augustus.
Sextus propertius, elegies, book 1, addressed to tullus. The first book likely comprised a separate work entirely called the monobiblos, the success of which led to propertius joining the literary circle around maecenas and three more books of elegies. Perusia modern perugia was not umbrian but etruscan. Book 4, both thematically and stylistically, is a fairly sharp departure from propertiuss first three books of elegies. His fourth book is a departure from the tropes of love and focuses instead on the origins of rome. Hutchinson, for instance, often points out the parallels that can be drawn between one passage and other verses in propertius outside book 4, as for 4, 2, 1 and 3, 11, 1, or 4, 8, 5960 and 3, 10, 26. The fourth book of propertius directs the readers attention to a variety of places in the city, from the tarpeian rock 4. The passionate and dramatic elegies of propertius gained him a reputation as. Most omissions would disappear with the longer hexameterpentameter, but at the cost of many slack lines where the sense had to be padded.
After sextus propertius, which is a free translation of propertius elegy iv 7. It was first published around 16 bc and consists of 11 poems ranging in length from 48 to 150 lines. Propertius published a first book of love elegies in 25 bce, with cynthia herself as the main theme. Elegies i iv american philological association series of classical texts 97808064680. He was friends with the poets gallus and virgil, and had with them as his patron maecenas, and through maecenas, the emperor augustus.
Amor it was who lowered my gaze of endless disdain, and, feet planted, bowed my head, till he taught me, recklessly, to scorn pure girls and live without sense, and this madness has not left me for one whole year now, though i do attract divine hostility. He was friends with the poets gallus and virgil, and had with them as his patron maecenas, and through maecenas, the emperor sextus aurelius propertius was a latin elegiac poet who was born around 5045 bce in mevania though other cities of umbria also claim this dignityhespillus, ameria, perusia, assisium and died shortly after 15 bce. Propertius surviving work comprises four books of elegies elegiae. Download pdf a propertius reader ebook full get book. Accordingly, some see the tarpeia poem as evidence.
He immediately sets them in opposition to a series of amatory poems reminiscent of his earl ier love elegies. Propertius fourth book is his most challenging and innovative. Some of them consider that some elegies of books 2 and 3 and many elegies of book 4 dealing with political issues, could be critical or ironic towards the emperor for a presentation of the debate, see viarre, properce, p. Sextus aurelius propertius was a latin elegiac poet who was born around 5045 bce in mevania though other cities of umbria also claim this dignityhespillus, ameria, perusia, assisium and died shortly after 15 bce. Published by cambridge university press 1977 isbn 10. Elegies book 4 in this edition of propertius book iv, camps follows the general lines of his earlier edition of book i cambridge, 1960. Propertius final book poses a bit of a conundrum for critics of roman elegy. See turners etching and painting, the golden bough british museum and tate gallery. He is the author of charm, translations from the latin of book i of the elegies of sextus propertius, as well as eight books of original poetry. I hoc, quodcumque uides, hospes, qua maxima roma est, ante phrygem aenean collis et herba fuit. But female triumph is undercut by images of brutalized or dead female bodies. Cynthia was the first, to my cost, to trap me with her eyes.
This book is an edition of and commentary on propertius book 4, by the oxonian scholar gregory hutchinson. In recent years, teachers of propertius were able to share with their students camps commentaries on individual books book 4 in 1965, then richardsons useful commentary covering all four. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. A sort of postmodernism combines with narrative and structural verve, incisively physical writing and a gallery of colourful characters. In book iv, poem 1, propertius implies his birthplace was asisium modern assisi. Propertius book 4 is a paradoxical juxtaposition of female triumph and female ruin. It belongs to the socalled green and yellow collection of the cambridge university press, which regularly includes very extensive and uptodate works. There is a shift to public facing poetry focuses on war in a slightly more positive light. Likewise, the historical data are usually given with some references both. The elegies of book 3 deal with a larger variety of themes, especially with political subjects like augustus, the battle of actium and other military or political matters. Elegies book iv propertius fourth book is his most challenging and innovative. Mar 07, 2019 in the course of writing his four books of elegies the world around propertius changed and he changed too. Scholars still debate over the relations of propertius with augustus and the principate. Introduction to propertius, his style, and his elegys social and political context and its place within the genre 606 lines of unadapted latin text of eleven complete propertian elegies from all four volumes of his work.
Elegiac ascent plotting a path through propertius poetic landscape. He was friends with the poets gallus and virgil, and had with them as his patron maecenas, and through maecenas, the emperor sextus aurelius propertius was a latin elegiac poet who was born around 5045 bce in mevania though other cities of umbria also claim this dignityhespillus. Here he portrays the exciting, uneven course of his love affair with cynthia and tells us much about his contemporaries and the society in which he lives, while in later poems he turns to mythological themes and the legends of early rome. Sextus aurelius propertius was a latin elegiac poet who was born around 5045 bce in mevania though other cities of umbria also claim this dignity. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Propertius elegies book iv classical literature cambridge. The complete elegies of sextus propertius princeton university. Many of the poems here pay tribute to cynthia, propertius s romantic obsession, but the scope of these 107 elegies is broad. The complete elegies of sextus propertius by propertius. The last is an elaborate and celebrated epitaph on a lady of roman nobility. What is propertius book 4 of the elegies a complete departure from. Vincent katz is a poet, translator, art critic, and curator.
What is interesting about propertius elegies book 4 aetiological elegy aetia origins. The appearance and success of the first book of elegies brought propertius to the attention of the great roman patron of letters, maecenas. Why do you urge me to change, to leave my mistress, bassus, why praise so many lovely girls to me. The historical context for propertius book 3 youtube. Throughout the book, quotations from virgil are given in english and it some times even. The word characterization, as it will be used in this thesis, refers to the personalities, descriptions, and qualities of the characters in propertius work as well as how propertius the author portrays each character based upon language, speech, and scene descriptions. Elegies iiv american philological association series of classical texts by sextus propertius and richardson dec 15, 2006 5. Elegy, aetia, and the conquest of the feminine in propertius. Elegies translation propertius sextus propertius oxford. The omissions increase in the later elegies, from 2. Written by propertius, romes greatest poet of love, who was born around 50 b. He died perhaps in his midthirties, leaving us four books of elegies that have attracted admirers. Goold solves some longstanding questions of interpretation and gives us a faithful and stylish prose.
Tarpeia and the burden of aetiology by kerill oneill at the beginning of his final book of elegies, propertius intro duces a program of aetiological poems, explaining the origins of roman placenames and customs. He applied his rhetorical education not to the courts, but to poetry. Elegies by propertius, 9780521292108, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Love elegy and instead there is a focus on teh city of rome very public focused now. The passionate and dramatic elegies of propertius c. Colin burrow asterisks and obelisks lrb 7 march 2019. Rendered into english by a poet who is also one of the nations preeminent propertius experts, the volume brings propertiuss d. What is interesting about propertius elegies book 3 regarding a shift in poetry. He was born around 5045 bc in assisium and died shortly after 15 bc. Propertius published a first book of love elegies in 25 bc, with cynthia herself as the main theme. Propertius was deprived of his umbrian estate in the confiscation of the civil war. Propertius has been admired for both his metrical genius and the modernity of his narrative flow. Book 4, both thematically and stylistically, is a fairly sharp departure from propertius s first three books of elegies. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position.
Propertius was admitted to his circle, and thus book two. Dec 31, 2006 elegiae by sextus propertius, albius tibullus, georg luck, december 31, 2006, university of oklahoma press edition, paperback in english. Elegies iiv by propertius meet your next favorite book. He died perhaps in his midthirties, leaving us four books of elegies that have. Propertius surviving work comprises four books of elegies. In this edition of propertius book iv, camps follows the general lines of his earlier edition of book i cambridge, 1960.
It also belongs to a strong renewal of propertian scholarship. The monobiblos must have attracted the attention of maecenas, a patron of the arts who took propertius into. Project muse the complete elegies of sextus propertius. Aug 28, 2014 gail trimble fellow and tutor in classics, trinity college, oxford discusses the historical context in which propertius composed book 3 of his elegies. Why not leave me to spend the rest of my life in increasingly familiar slavery. Sextus propertius, elegies, book 1, prologue poem, addressed. Propertiuss last book 4 must have been published after a. Sextus propertius, elegies, book 1, prologue poem, addressed to. Sextus propertius was a latin elegiac poet of the augustan age. The elegies a complete english translation with indepth name index no joy in corrupting venus to a blind motion. Book 4 is the final installment of propertiuss series of elegiac poetry books. Propertius announcement, in his fourth book of elegies 4. His poetry appears here for the first time in a duallanguage edition with the. Propertius s poetry offers a fascinating look into life in the augustan age, addressing social, political, and historical subjects.
This volume is an examination of the fourth book of propertius elegies by tara s. Book 4 is the final installment of propertius s series of elegiac poetry books. He portrays the uneven course of his love affair with cynthia and also tells us much about the society of his time, then in later poems turns to the legends of ancient rome. Propertius, elegies iiv, edited with introduc and commentary. The monobiblos must have attracted the attention of maecenas, a patron of the arts who took propertius into his circle of court poets. Alas for me, where have you spent the long hours of this night, that was mine, you. The passionate and dramatic elegies of propertius gained him a reputation as one of romes finest love poets. Propertius quotes 16 quotes quotes of famous people. A companion to the text of propertius close sectionbook 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8a 8b 9 10 11.
1044 782 957 46 296 69 247 293 1317 1077 366 614 1066 1260 238 190 596 852 1270 1514 999 1095 921 870