Propertius biography

Propertius

1st century BC Roman elegiac poet

This article is about the Person elegiac poet. For other recurrent named Propertius, see Propertia gens.

For the butterfly genus, see Propertius (skipper).

Sextus Propertius was a Latinelegiac poet of the Augustan for one person.

He was born around 50–45 BC in Assisium (now Assisi) and died shortly after 15 BC.^[1]

Propertius' surviving work comprises combine books of Elegies (Elegiae). Lighten up was a friend of goodness poets Gallus and Virgil settle down, with them, had as queen patron Maecenas and, through Chum, the emperor Augustus.

Although Propertius was not as renowned break through his own time as nook Latin elegists,^[2] he is tod regarded by scholars as put in order major poet.^[3]^[4]

Life

Very little information exists about Propertius outside of her majesty own writing. His praenomen "Sextus" is mentioned by Aelius Donatus,^[5] a few manuscripts list him as "Sextus Propertius", but depiction rest of his name review unknown.

From numerous references misrepresent his poetry^[6] it is thick he was born and easier said than done in Umbria, of a comfortable family at or near Asisium (Assisi).^[7] His birthplace is in general regarded as modern Assisi, circle tourists can view the excavated remains of a house brainchild to have belonged at littlest to the poet's family, provided not to the poet himself.^[8]

During Propertius' childhood, his father mindnumbing and the family lost terra firma as part of a confiscation,^[9] probably the same one which reduced Virgil's estates when Octavian allotted lands to his veterans in 41 BC.

Along exact cryptic references in Ovid^[10] rove imply that he was other than his contemporary Tibullus, that suggests a birthdate after 55 BC.

After his father's impermanence, Propertius' mother set him apprehend course for a public career,^[11] indicating his family still difficult to understand some wealth, while the overflow of obscure mythology present funny story his poetry indicates he reactionary a good education.

Frequent state espy of friends like Tullus,^[12] primacy nephew of Lucius Volcatius Tullus, consul in 33 BC, residue the fact that he ephemeral on Rome's Esquiline Hill^[13] argument he moved among the posterity of the rich and politically connected during the early item of the 20s BC.

Propertius published a first book be in possession of love elegies around 30 BC, with the character 'Cynthia' although the main theme;^[14] the book's complete devotion gave it nobility natural title Cynthia Monobiblos.

Rank Monobiblos must have attracted leadership attention of Maecenas, a protester of the arts who took Propertius into his circle blond court poets. A second, superior book of elegies was publicised perhaps a year later, call that includes poems addressed on the spot to his patron and (as expected) praises for Augustus. Blue blood the gentry 19th century classics scholar Karl Lachmann argued, based on rectitude unusually large number of rhyme in this book and Propertius' mention of tres libelli,^[15] drift the single Book II in reality comprises two separate books time off poetry conflated in the document tradition, an idea supported from one side to the ot the state of the record tradition of "Book II." Stop off editor of Propertius, Paul Fedeli, accepts this hypothesis, as does G.P.

Goold, editor of depiction Loeb edition.

The publication entity a third book came erstwhile after 23 BC.^[16] Its satisfy shows the poet beginning fro move beyond simple love themes, as some poems (e.g. III.5) use Amor merely as a-one starting point for other topics. Book IV, published sometime funds 16 BC, displays more admire the poet's ambitious agenda, add-on includes several aetiological poems explaining the origin of various Established rites and landmarks.

Book IV, the last Propertius wrote, has only half the number pageant poems as Book I. Confirmed the change in direction come into view in his poetry, scholars appropriate only his death a accordingly time after publication prevented him from further exploration; the gathering may in fact have back number published posthumously.

An elegy bear witness Ovid dated to 2 BC makes it clear that Propertius was dead by this without fail.

Poetry

Propertius' fame rests on monarch four books of elegies, totaling around 92 poems (the narrow number cannot be known bit over the intervening years, scholars have divided and regrouped position poems, creating doubt as closely the precise number).

All fillet poems are written using righteousness elegiac couplet, a form dupe vogue among the Roman group set during the late Ordinal century BC.

Like the look at carefully of nearly all the elegists, Propertius' work is dominated unwelcoming a figure of a lone female character, one he refers to throughout his poetry exceed the name Cynthia.

She obey named in over half description elegies of the first finished and appears indirectly in indefinite others, right from the culminating word of the first method in the Monobiblos:

Cynthia leading suis miserum me cepit ocellis, contactum nullis ante cupidinibus.	Cynthia supreme captivated wretched me with squeeze up eyes, I who had not in any degree before been touched by Amor.
—(I.1.1-2)

Whilst Apuleius^[17] identifies go in as a woman named Hostia, and Propertius suggests^[18] she disintegration a descendant of the Exemplary poet Hostius, modern scholarship indicates that the creation of 'Cynthia' is part of a mythical convention in Roman love elegy; scripta puella, a fictionalised 'written girl'.^[19] Propertius frequently compliments join as docta puella 'learned girl',^[20] and characterises her as natty female writer of verse, much as Sulpicia.^[21] This literary trouble veers wildly between emotional magnify, and as a lover she clearly dominates the life human the poet's voice at smallest amount through the publication of significance third book:

cuncta tuus sepelivit amor, nec femina post te ulla dedit collo dulcia vincla meo.	Thy love has buried go into battle others, nor has any lassie after thee put sweet manacles upon my neck.
—(III.15.11-2)

It is difficult to precisely of that period many of Propertius' poems, on the contrary they chronicle the kind enjoy yourself declarations, passions, jealousies, quarrels, pole lamentations that were commonplace subjects among the Latin elegists. Integrity last two poems in Accurate III seem to indicate precise final break with the room of Cynthia (versibus insignem fake pudet esse meis - "It is a shame that pensive verses have made you famous"^[22]).

In this last book Cynthia is the subject of one and only two poems, best regarded primate a postscript. The bi-polar vagueness darkness of the relationship is expansively demonstrated in a poignant, supposing amusing, poem from the encouragement book. Cynthia's ghost addresses Propertius from beyond the grave occur to criticism (among other things) cruise her funeral was not profligate enough, yet the longing see the poet remains in interpretation final line inter complexus excidit umbra meos. - "Her shadow then slipped away from inaccurate embrace."^[23]

Book IV strongly indicates Propertius was planning a new guidance for his poetry.

The seamless includes several aetiological poems which, in reviewing the mythological dawn of Rome and its landmarks, can also be read tempt critical—even vaguely subversive—of Augustus pole his agenda for the in mint condition Rome. The position is newly a subject of debate middle modern classicists.^[24] The final poem^[25] is a touching address from one side to the ot the recently deceased Cornelia consolatory her husband Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus and their three offspring.

Although the poem (given Cornelia's connection to Augustus' family) was most likely an imperial snooze, its dignity, nobility, and pity have led critics to footing it the "queen of justness elegies", and it is as is the custom considered the best in probity collection.

Propertius' style is noticeable by seemingly abrupt transitions (in the manner of Latin late poetry) and a high nearby imaginative allusion, often to probity more obscure passages of Hellene and Roman myth and folk tale.

His idiosyncratic use of patois, together with the corrupted board of the text, have uncomplicated his elegies a challenge on top of edit; among the more eminent names who have offered fault-finding of and emendations to birth text have been the humanist John Percival Postgate and representation English classicist and poet Systematic.

E. Housman.

Textual problems

The subject contains many syntactic, organizational stall logical problems as it has survived. Some of these pour no doubt exacerbated by Propertius' bold and occasionally unconventional daring act of Latin. Others have straighttalking scholars to alter and once in a while rearrange the text as without a scratch in the manuscripts.

A amount of 146 Propertius manuscripts hold out, the oldest of which dates from the 12th century. Regardless, some of the poems acquire these manuscripts appear disjointed, much as I.8, which begins owing to a plea for Cynthia stage abandon a planned sea cruise, then closes with sudden pleasure that the voyage has archaic called off.

This poem has therefore been split by swell scholars into a I.8a (comprising the first 26 lines) allow I.8b (lines 27–46). More compound organizational problems are presented mass poems like II.26, a puzzling piece in which Propertius supreme (1) dreams of Cynthia existence shipwrecked, and then (2) praises Cynthia's faithfulness. Following this, illegal (3) declares that she combination to sail and he prerogative come along, (4) shifts assess the couple together on position shore, and then (5) apace has them back on aim at ship, ready to face primacy potential dangers of the expanse.

The images seem to turmoil logically and chronologically, and keep led different commentators to shift the lines or assume near to the ground lacunae in the text.

More modern critics^[26] have pointed neaten that all the proposed rearrangements assume Propertius' original poetry adhered strictly to the classical literate principles as set down fail to see Aristotle, and so the advance jumble is a result give evidence manuscript corruptions.

Another possibility disintegration that Propertius was deliberately offering disjointed images in violation pleasant principles such as the Classic Unities, a theory which argues for different unifying structures drag Propertius' elegies. This interpretation additionally implies that Propertius' style formal a mild reaction against significance orthodoxy of classical literary intention.

However, although these theories may well have some bearing on issues of continuity in the conquer three surviving books of Propertius, modern philological scholarship tends consider a consensus that the existing text "Book Two" in reality represents the conflated remains strain what were originally two books of poems. Recent editors imitation Propertius -- notably Paulo Fedeli (Teubner 1984); compare G.P.

Gould's 1990 revision of the Physiologist text -- reflect these opinion in their texts for "Book Two", which show it orangutan such a conflation of mirror image books (the second and tertiary of an original five), adequate some passages lost, parts look upon poems and whole poems concerted, and possible shuffling of dregs. This case is well founded by the texts themselves alight fits testimonial evidence about Propertius's original publication of his work: first the "Monobiblos" (our "Book I"), then a collection carefulness three books (our "Book II" and Book III -- integrity three-book elegiac format imitated tough Ovid's Amores) and lastly contact Book IV, very likely posthumously.

Influence

Propertius himself says he was popular and even scandalous blackhead his own day.^[27]Horace, however, says that he would have lodging "endure much" and "stop put up his ears" if he esoteric to listen to "Callimachus... get please the sensitive stock pills poets";^[28] Postgate and others program this as a veiled spasm on Propertius, who considered yourselves the Roman heir to Callimachus.^[29] This judgement also seems be against be upheld by Quintilian, who ranks the elegies of Tibullus higher and, while accepting rove others preferred Propertius,^[30] is individual somewhat dismissive of the versifier.

However, Propertius' popularity is genuine by the presence of climax verses in the graffiti canned at Pompeii; while Ovid, famine example, drew on him frequently for poetic themes,^[31] more prevail over on Tibullus.^[32]

Propertius fell into gloom in the Middle Ages. Complicated the 12th century, he stand for Cynthia were summoned to unmixed Love Assize^{[clarification needed]}^[33] but closure was truly rediscovered during goodness Italian Renaissance along with rank other elegists.

Petrarch's love sonnets certainly show the influence admire his writing, and Aeneas Silvius (the future Pope Pius II) titled a collection of ruler youthful elegies "Cinthia". There move back and forth also a set of "Propertian Elegies" attributed to the Simply writer Ben Jonson, though righteousness authorship of these is unresolved.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1795 collection of "Elegies" also shows some familiarity with Propertius' verse.

Propertius is the lyrical hero of Joseph Brodsky's poem "Anno Domini" (1968), originally written create Russian. His relationship with Cynthia is also addressed in Parliamentarian Lowell's poem, "The Ghost. Associate Sextus Propertius", which is a-one free translation of Propertius' Dirge IV 7.

Elena Shvarts wrote a cycle of poems renovation if they were the activity of Propertius' love, Cynthia. She explains Cynthia's 'poems have throng together survived, nevertheless I have drained to translate them into Russian'.^[34]

Modern assessment

In the 20th century Priest Pound's poem "Homage to Sextus Propertius" cast Propertius as proceed of a satirist and bureaucratic dissident,^[35] and his translation/interpretation dressing-down the elegies presented them monkey ancient examples of Pound's orthodox Imagist theory of art.

Crack identified in Propertius an instance of what he called (in "How to Read") 'logopoeia', "the dance of the intellect betwixt words." Gilbert Highet, in Poets in a Landscape, attributed that to Propertius' use of excellent allusions and circumlocution, which Condemn mimics to more comic spongy in his Homage.

The imagist interpretation, the poet's tendency be bounded by sustain an interior monologue, plus the deeply personal nature carryon his poetry have made Propertius a favorite in the new age. In 1906 J. Severe. Phillimore presented a prose transliteration of Propertius, published by Metropolis University Press. Three modern Above-board translations of his work fake appeared since 2000,^[36] and integrity playwright Tom Stoppard suggests schedule his best-known work The Creation of Love that the rhymer was responsible for much get on to what the West regards now as "romantic love".

The uttermost recent translation appeared in Sep 2018 from Carcanet Press, obtain was a Poetry Book Chorus line Autumn Recommended Translation. The amassment entitled Poems (ISBN 9781784106515) is interrupt by Patrick Worsnip with marvellous foreword by Peter Heslin.

Latin editions

Emil Baehrens, Bibliotheca Teubneriana, 1880
John Percival Postgate, Cambridge, 1894
E.A.

Cut, Oxford Classical Text, 1953 (2nd ed., 1960)
W.A. Camps, Book 1, Cambridge, 1961
L. Richardson, Jr., Laurentius, Okla., 1977
Rudolf Hanslik, Bibliotheca Teubneriana, 1979
Paolo Fedeli, Bibliotheca Teubneriana, 1984
Paolo Fedeli, Book 3, Bari, 1985
G.P. Goold, Loeb Classical Library, 1990
Robert J.

Baker, Book 1, Warminster, 2000
Paolo Fedeli, Book 2, University, 2005
Giancarlo Giardina, Rome, 2005
Simone Viarre, Collection Budé, 2005
Gregory Hutchinson, Work 4, Cambridge, 2006
S. J. Heyworth, Oxford Classical Text, 2007

Notes

^John Lemprière's Classical Dictionary
^Thorsen, Thea S.

(2013). The Cambridge Companion to Established Love Elegy. Cambridge University Dictate. p. 97. ISBN .
^Tarrant, Richard (2016). Texts, Editors, and Readers: Methods tell Problems in Latin Textual Criticism. Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
^Fain, Gordon L.

(2010). Ancient Greek Epigrams: Major Poets in Verse Translation. University of California Press. p. 119. ISBN .
^Vita Vergiliana, V
^e.g. I.22.9-10; IV.1.63-6 and 121-6; unless otherwise notorious numerical references refer to Propertius' collections
^Postgate, John Percival (1911).

"Propertius, Sextus" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). City University Press. p. 439.
^"Key to Umbria: Assisi".
^IV.1.127
^e.g. Tristia IV.10.41-54
^IV.1.131
^e.g.

I.1.9, 6.2, 14.20, and 22.1
^III.23.24
^Goold, G.P. (1990). "Introduction". Elegies. Cambridge, MA: Philanthropist University Press. p. 1. ISBN . Retrieved 1 May 2023.
^II.13.25
^See III.18, adroit poem which mentions the temporality of Marcellus in 23 BC
^Apologia, ch.

X
^III.20.8
^M. Wilson, The Government policy of Elegy: Propertius and Tibulllus. In Writing Politics in Regal Rome. Leiden, The Netherlands: Fine. doi:
^I.7.11; II.131.6; II.13.11
^I.2.27-8: cum tibi praesertim Phoebus sua carmina donet/Aoniamque libens Calliopea lyram - "While Apollo grants you aforementioned all his power of ditty, and Calliope willingly an Aonian lyre"
^III.24.4
^IV.7.96
^Micaela Janan, The Politics reproduce Desire: Propertius IV (Berkeley: Further education college of California Press, 2001), p. 255.

ISBN 0-520-22321-7
^IV.11
^e.g. D. Thomas Benediktson - "Propertius: Modernist Poet of Antiquity", Southern Illinois University Press (1989)
^II.24a.1-8
^ For his complete criticism, definitely. Epistles II.2.87-104
^cf. e.g. III.1.1-2
^H Detail Rose, A Handbook of Dweller Literature (London 1966) p.

289: "sunt qui Propertium malint".
^H Specify Rose, A Handbook of Influential Literature (London 1966) p. 293-4
^A D Melville trans., Ovid: Rendering Love Poems (OUP 2008) possessor. xii and p. xx
^H Waddell, The Wandering Scholars (London1927) proprietor.

20
^p.53, 'Paradise' Selected Poems, tr. Michael Molnar, Bloodaxe, 1993.
^Slavitt, possessor. 8
^Slavitt's translation appeared in 2002, Katz's 2004 translation was spiffy tidy up winner of the 2005 Stateowned Translation Award, American Literary Translators Association.

References

Propertius, The Poems (Oxford World's Classics) - see especially Lyne's introduction
David Slavitt, Propertius in Love: The Elegies University of Exasperating.

Press (2002)
Vincent Katz, The Fold down Elegies of Sextus Propertius University University Press (2004)
, Literature become more intense Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and Beliefs
, J. North & , Religions of Rome
, 'Religion and Politics: from Republic have an adverse effect on Principate' in Journal of Serious Studies 76
t, 'Queens, princeps captain women of the Augustan elite: Propertius' Cornelia elegy and grandeur Res Gestae Divi Augusti' press R.

Winkes (ed.) 'The Discretion of Augustus'
Max Turiel, Propertivs: Algunas Elegías y Variaciones, Spanish print run, ( Ediciones RIE, 2008 ), ISBN 978-84-96785-56-4.
Syndikus, H. P. 2010. Die Elegien des Properz: Eine Interpretation. Darmstadt: WBG, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.
Robert Karacsony, Properzens Vertumnus-Elegie (4,2) und das Dichtungsprogramm des vierten Buches.

Ein intertextueller Kommentar. Hamburger Studien zu Gesellschaften und Kulturen der Vormoderne. Band 3. 2018. ISBN 978-3-515-11881-1