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Auguste Jean Baptiste Vinchon, Propertius and Cynthia at Tivoli
Auguste Jean Baptiste Vinchon, Propertius and Cynthia at Tivoli

Sextus Aurelius Propertius was a Latin elegiac poet born sometime around about 50-45 BCE in Mevania (althought other cities in the region of Umbria claim this dignity - Hespillus, Ameria, Perusia and Assisium), and died a short time after 15 BCE. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The term " elegy " was originally used for a type of poetic meter ( Elegiac metre but is also used for a Poem of mourning from the Greek Mevania (modern Bevagna) an ancient Roman town and Municipium of ( Umbria) in the Augustan Regio VI. Umbria is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. The capital is Perugia. Amelia is a town and Comune of the Province of Terni, in the Umbria region of central Italy. The ancient Perusia, now Perugia, first appears in history as one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. [1] His surviving work consists of four books of Elegies. The term " elegy " was originally used for a type of poetic meter ( Elegiac metre but is also used for a Poem of mourning from the Greek He was friends with the poets Maecenas, Gallus, and Virgil, and had with them Augustus as his patron. Caius Cilnius Maecenas (70 &ndash 8 BC was a confidant and political advisor to Octavian (who was to become the first Emperor of Rome as Caesar Augustus) as well Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was

Contents

Life

Very little information is known about Propertius outside of his own writing. His praenomen "Sextus" is mentioned by Aelius Donatus,[2] a few manuscripts list him as "Sextus Propertius", but the rest of his name is unknown. Aelius Donatus (fl late 4th century AD was a Roman Grammarian and teacher of Rhetoric. From numerous references in his poetry[3] it is clear he was born and raised in Umbria; modern Assisi claims for itself the honor of his birthplace. Assisi (əˈsiːzi or /əˈsiːsi/ ( Latin: Asisium) is a Town in Italy in Province of Perugia, Italy, in the Umbria As a boy his father died and the family lost land as part of a confiscation,[4] probably the same one which reduced Virgil's estates when Octavian alloted lands to his veterans in 41 BCE. Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Combining this with cryptic references in Ovid[5] implying he was younger that his contemporary Tibullus, a birthdate in the early 40s seems appropriate. Albius Tibullus (ca 54-19 BC was a Latin Poet and writer of elegies.

After his father's death, Propertius' mother set him on course for a public career[6]--indicating his family still had some wealth--while the abundance of obscure mythology present in his poetry indicates he received a good education. Frequent mention of friends like Tullus[7]--the nephew of Lucius Volcatius Tullus, consul in 33 BCE--plus the fact that he lived on Rome's Esquiline hill[8] indicate he moved among the children of the rich and politically connected during the early part of the 20's decade. Lucius Volcatius Tullus may refer to Lucius Volcatius Tullus (consul 66 BC, Roman politician Lucius Volcatius Tullus (consul 33 BC, his It was during this time that he met Cynthia, the older woman[9] who would inspire him to express his poetic genius.

Propertius published a first book of love elegies in 25 BCE, with Cynthia herself as the main theme; the book's complete devotion gave it the natural title Cynthia Monobiblos. The Monobiblos must have attracted the attention of Maecenas, a patron of the arts who took Propertius into his circle of court poets. Caius Cilnius Maecenas (70 &ndash 8 BC was a confidant and political advisor to Octavian (who was to become the first Emperor of Rome as Caesar Augustus) as well A second, larger book of elegies was published perhaps a year later, one that includes poems addressed directly to his patron and (as expected) praises for Augustus. The 19th century classics scholar Karl Lachmann argued--based on the unusually large number of poems in this book and Propertius' mention of tres libelli[10]--that the single book II actually comprises two separate books of poetry mashed together in the manuscript tradition. Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann ( March 4, 1793 - March 13, 1851) was a German Philologist and Critic. Though some editors have previously numbered the poems accordingly, the idea has fallen out of favor in more recent times.

The publication of a third book came sometime after 23 BCE. [11] Its content shows the poet beginning to move beyond simple love themes, as some poems (e. g. III. 5) use Amor merely as a starting point for other topics. The book also shows the poet growing tired of the demanding yet fickle Cynthia,[12] and implies a bitter end to their torrid love affair. Book IV, published sometime after 16 BCE, displays more of the poet's ambitious agenda, and includes several aetiological poems explaining the origin of various Roman rites and landmarks.

Book IV--the last Propertius wrote--contains only half the poems of the next smallest book I. Given the change in direction apparent in his poetry, scholars assume only his death a short time after publication prevented him from further exploration; the collection may in fact have been published posthumously. It is also possible that Propertius had children, either with Cynthia or a later liaison. [13] An elegy of Ovid dated to 2 BCE makes it clear that Propertius was dead by this time. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including

Poetry

Propertius fame rests on his four books of elegies, totaling 92 poems (scholars over the centuries have divided and rearranged the poems enough that the exact number fluctuates). All his poems are written using the elegiac couplet, a form in vogue among the Roman social set during the late 1st century BCE. Elegiac couplets are a poetic form used by Greek lyric poets for a variety of themes usually of smaller scale than those of epic poetry

Like nearly all the elegists, Propertius' work is dominated by the figure of a single woman, one he refers to throughout his poetry by the pseudonym Cynthia. She is named in over half the elegies of the first book and appears indirectly in several others, right from the first word of the first poem in the Monobiblos:

“ Cynthia prima suis miserum me cepit ocellis,

contactum nullis ante cupidinibus.

"Cynthia first captivated wretched me with her eyes,

I who had never before been touched by Cupid. " (I. 1. 1-2)

 ”

Apuleius[14] identifies her as a woman named Hostia, and Propertius suggests[15] she is a descendent of the Roman poet Hostius. Apuleius should not be confused with Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, a Roman demagogue or with Pseudo-Apuleius, an author Hostius, was a Roman epic Poet, who probably flourished in the 2nd century BC. Scholars guess that she was probably a courtesan, though Propertius frequently compliments her as docta puella,[16] and, like Sulpicia, she herself was a writer of verse. A courtesan in mid-16th century usage referred to a mistress or trained artisan of dance and singing especially one associated with wealthy powerful or upper-class Sulpicia was the name of two Roman women reputed in antiquity as Poets Sulpicia I The earlier Sulpicia is the only known woman from Ancient [17] Their affair veers wildly between emotional extremes, and as a lover she clearly dominates his life at least through the publication of the third book:

“ cuncta tuus sepelivit amor, nec femina post te

ulla dedit collo dulcia vincla meo.

"Your love has buried all others, nor has any woman after you

put sweet fetters upon my neck. " (III. 15. 11-2)

 ”

It is difficult to precisely date many of Propertius' poems, but they chronicle the kind of declarations, passions, jealousies, quarrels, and lamentations that were commonplace subjects among the Latin elegists. The last two poems in book III seem to indicate a final break with her (versibus insignem te pudet esse meis - "It is a shame that my verses have made you famous"[18]), and Cynthia died some time before the publication of the final book IV. In this last book Cynthia is the subject of only two poems, best regarded as a postscript. The bi-polar complexity of the relationship is amply demonstrated in a poignant (if amusing) poem from the final book IV. Cynthia's ghost addresses Propertius from beyond the grave with criticism (among other things) that her funeral was not lavish enough, yet the longing of the poet remains in the final line inter complexus excidit umbra meos. - "Her shade then slipped away from my embrace. ". [19]

Book IV strongly indicates Propertius was planning a new direction for his poetry. The book includes several aetiological poems which, in reviewing the mythological origins of Rome and its landmarks, can also be read as critical--even vaguely subversive--of Augustus and his agenda for the new Rome. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was The position is currently a subject of debate among modern classics scholars. [20] The final poem[21] is a touching address by the recently deceased Cornelia consoling her husband Paullus and their three children. Cornelia Scipio or Cornelia Scipionis (around 46 BC - 16 BC) was the daughter of Scribonia Libo and the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio Salvito Although the poem (given Cornelia's connection to Augustus' family) was most likely an imperial commission, its dignity, nobility, and pathos have led critics to call it the "queen of the elegies", and it is commonly considered the best in the collection.

Propertius' style is marked by seemingly abrupt transitions (in the manner of Latin neoteric poetry) and a high and imaginative allusion, often to the more obscure passages of Greek and Roman myth and legend. His idiosyncratic use of language, together with the corrupted state of the text, have made his elegies a challenge to edit; among the more famous names who have offered criticism of and emendations to the text have been the classicist John Percival Postgate and the English poet A. E. Housman. John Percival Postgate ( October 24, 1853 - July 15, 1926) was an English classicist, professor of Latin at the Alfred Edward Housman (ˈhaʊsmən 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936 usually known as A

Textual Problems

The text contains many syntactic, organizational and logical problems as it has survived. Some of these are no doubt exacerbated by Propertius' bold and occasionally unconventional use of Latin. Others have led scholars to alter and sometimes rearrange the text as preserved in the manuscripts.

A total of 146 Propertius manuscripts survive, the oldest of which dates from the 12th century. However, some of the poems in these manuscripts appear disjointed, such as I. 8, which begins as a plea for Cynthia to abandon a planned sea voyage, then closes with sudden joy that the voyage has been called off. This poem has therefore been split by most scholars into a I. 8a (comprising the first 26 lines) and I. 8b (lines 27-46). More complicated organizational problems are presented by poems like II. 26, a confusing piece in which Propertius first (1) dreams of Cynthia being shipwrecked, and then (2) praises Cynthia's faithfulness. Following this, he (3) declares that she plans to sail and he will come along, (4) shifts to the couple together on the shore, and then (5) quickly has them back on-board ship, ready to face the potential dangers of the sea. The images seem to conflict logically and chronologically, and have led different commentators to rearrange the lines or assume some lacuna in the text.

More modern critics[22] have pointed out that all the proposed rearrangements assume Propertius' original poetry adhered strictly to the classical literary principles as set down by Aristotle, and so the apparent jumble is a result of manuscript corruptions. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Another possibility is that Propertius was deliberately presenting disjoint images in violation of principles such as the Classical Unities, a theory which argues for different unifying structures in Propertius' elegies. The classical unities or three unities are rules for Drama derived from a passage in Aristotle 's Poetics. This interpretation also implies that Propertius' style represented a mild reaction against the orthodoxy of classical literary theory.

Influence

Propertius himself says he was popular and even scandalous in his own day. [23] Horace, however, says that he would have to "endure much" and "stop up his ears" if he had to listen to "Callimachus. Quintus Horatius Flaccus, ( Venosa, December 8, 65 BC - Rome, November 27, 8 BC known in the English-speaking world as Horace . . to please the sensitive stock of poets";[24] Postgate and others see this as a veiled attack on Propertius, who considered himself the Roman heir to Callimachus. [25] This judgement also seems to be upheld by Quintilian, who ranks the elegies of Tibullus higher and is somewhat dismissive of the poet, but Propertius' popularity is attested by the presence of his verses in the graffiti preserved at Pompeii. Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (ca 35 – ca 100 was a Roman Rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and Albius Tibullus (ca 54-19 BC was a Latin Poet and writer of elegies. Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in

Propertius fell into obscurity in the Middle Ages, but was rediscovered during the Italian Renaissance along with the other elegists. Petrarch's love sonnets certainly show the influence of his writing, and Aeneas Silvius (the future Pope Pius II) titled a collection of his youthful elegies "Cinthia". Francesco Petrarca ( July 20, 1304 – July 19, 1374) known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Latin Aeneas Sylvius; October 18, 1405 &ndash August 14, 1464) There are also a set of "Propertian Elegies" attributed to the English writer Ben Johnson, though the authorship of these is disputed. Ben Johnson or Benjamin Johnson may be Ben Johnson (sprinter (born 1961 Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson (politician (1858&ndash1950 Goethe's 1795 collection of "Elegies" also shows some familiarity with Propertius' poetry. ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer

Propertius is the lyrical protagonist of Joseph Brodsky's poem "Anno Domini" (1968), originally written in Russian. Joseph Brodsky ( May 24, 1940 — January 28, 1996) born Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (Иосиф Александрович Бродский

Modern Assessment

In the 20th century Ezra Pound's poem "Homage to Sextus Propertius" cast Propertius as something of a satirist and political dissident,[26] and his translation/interpretation of the elegies presented them as ancient examples of Pound's own Imagist theory of art. Ezra Weston Loomis Pound ( Hailey, Idaho Territory, United States October 30 1885 – Venice, Italy November 1 1972 was an American Expatriate Imagism was a movement in early 20th-century Anglo-American poetry that favored precision of Imagery, and clear sharp language The imagist interpretation, the poet's tendency to sustain an interior monologue, and the deeply personal nature of his poetry have made Propertius a favorite in the modern age. Two modern English translations of his work have appeared since 2000,[27] and the playwright Tom Stoppard in his masterwork The Invention of Love suggests the poet was responsible for much of what the West regards today as "romantic love". Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE (born 3 July 1937 is a British Screenwriter playwright The Invention of Love is a play by Tom Stoppard portraying the life of poet A

Latin editions


References

  1. ^ John Lemprière's Classical Dictionary
  2. ^ Vita Vergiliana, V
  3. ^ e. The Collection Budé, or the Collection des Universités de France, is a series of books comprising the Greek and Latin classics up John Lemprière (c 1765 Jersey, &ndash February 1, 1824, London) English classical scholar Lexicographer, Theologian g. I. 22. 9-10; IV. 1. 63-6 and 121-6; unless otherwise noted numerical references refer to Propertius' collections
  4. ^ IV. 1. 127
  5. ^ e. g. Tristia IV. 10. 41-54
  6. ^ IV. 1. 131
  7. ^ e. g. I. 1. 9, 6. 2, 14. 20, and 22. 1
  8. ^ III. 23. 24
  9. ^ cf. II. 18. 19
  10. ^ II. 13. 25
  11. ^ See III. 18, a poem which mentions the death of Marcellus in 23 BCE
  12. ^ See e. Marcus Claudius Marcellus (42-23 BC was the eldest son of Octavia Minor, sister of Augustus, and Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor, a former consul g. III. 21 and III. 24
  13. ^ Cf. Pliny Epistles VI. 125, where Pliny says a Roman knight Passennus Paulus scribit elegos. . . atque etiam inter maiores suos Propertium numerat. (writes elegies. . . and even numbers among his ancestors Propertius); though this may be nothing more than a tall tale
  14. ^ Apologia, ch. X
  15. ^ III. 20. 8
  16. ^ I. 7. 11; II. 131. 6; II. 13. 11
  17. ^ I. 2. 27-8: cum tibi praesertim Phoebus sua carmina donet/Aoniamque libens Calliopea lyram - "While Apollo grants you above all his power of song, and Calliope willingly an Aonian lyre"
  18. ^ III. 24. 4
  19. ^ IV. 7. 96
  20. ^ Micaela Janan, The Politics of Desire: Propertius IV. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. Pp. 255. ISBN 0-520-22321-7
  21. ^ IV. 11
  22. ^ e. g. D. Thomas Benediktson - "Propertius: Modernist Poet of Antiquity", S. Illinois Univ. Press (1989)
  23. ^ II. 24a. 1-8
  24. ^ For his complete criticism, v. Epistles II. 2. 87-104
  25. ^ cf. e. g. III. 1. 1-2
  26. ^ Slavitt, p. 8
  27. ^ Slavitt's translation appeared in 2002, while Katz's 2004 translation was a winner of the 2005 National translation Award, American Literary Translators Association.

External links

See also. . .
Quotations at Wikiquote
Works at Project Gutenberg
Works at Domínio Público
Works at Dominio Público
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