I lived from -50--16.
I was from Italy, and am in the European category.
A latin elegaic poet of the first century BC.
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Sextus was born in Umbria, in modern day Assissi to a reasonably well off family somewhere between 50 and 45BC. He lost his father at an early age and his family lost land when Octavian gave his veterans land in 41 BC. He clearly had a good education, shown by the obscure mythology references within his poetry and his family were still wealthy enough to set him up in a public career. His home on the Esquiline hill and the indication of having friends related to powerful men show that he was well connected in the early part of the 20’s decade.
In 5 BC Propertius published his first book of love elegies mostly written for Cynthia, an older woman who inspired his work and the title of the text Cynthia Monobiblos. This book drew Propertius into the view of Maecenas, a patron of the arts who took him into his circle of court poets. Propertius published another book the next year, a larger book with praise for his patron and also for Augustus.
The next book, some time after 23BC shows a move towards some more varied themes than that of love. It seems his relationship with Cynthia had taken a negative turn. An even later book moves on to speaking of the origin of Roman rites and landmarks. Propertius possibly died shortly after the publication of his last book and it is possible that it was even published after his death.
Popular poetry
O sweet dream,
when I saw your first love:
36 lines, 2 comments
Is it true all Rome talks about you,
Cynthia,
43 lines, 1 comment
You ask why a night with eager women is expensive, and why our exhausted powers bemoan Venus’s losses. The reason for such ruin is clear
13 lines, 3 comments
Why do you wonder if a woman entwines my life and brings a man enslaved under her rule? Why fabricate charges of cowardice against my pe
15 lines
That which he is, I was, often: but perhaps one day he’ll be thrown out, and another one will be dearer to you.
Penelope was able to
11 lines
Just as Ariadne, the girl of Cnossus, lay on the naked shore, fainting, while Theseus’s ship vanished; or as Andromeda, Cepheus’s child,
6 lines
Our quarrel by lamplight last night was sweet to me, and all those insults from your furious tongue, when frenzied with drinking you pus
7 lines
When death closes my eyes at last, then, listen what will serve as my funeral. No long spread-out procession of images for me, then: no
13 lines
You’ll laugh at my downfall, as you often do, Gallus, because I’m alone and free, love lifted away. But I’ll never imitate your words, f
4 lines
Are you mad, then, that my anxiety does not stop you? Am I less to you than chilly Illyria? Does he seem so great to you, whoever he is,
2 lines
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