SEXTUS PROPERTIUS Poet, Artist and Lover

Early Life Propertius was born BCE in Assisi, Umbria, Italy His father died when he was young but his mother still made sure he would get a good education. When Augustus’ troops returned from their fight in the Civil War, some of Propertius’s estate was divided to the veterans, and he went to live in Rome.

Early Career and Style  While Propertius had studied to be a lawyer, he abandoned it for writing early on.  He joined a group of you poets who used Greek Alexandrian poets as inspiration but set himself apart with his expression of strong personal feelings especially on love.  His first and most famous book was on his lover dubbed Cynthia. Amor, Amor, Amor.

Cynthia  Real name was Hostia  Thought to be an upper class courtesan or sophisticated married woman.  Relationship with Propertius was full of passion and jealousy  Similar to another Roman poet. (Ugly relationships must’ve been a trend) Afflicted by love’s madness all are blind. -Propertius

Latter Life  After his first book of elegies he entered the literary circle of the great patron Maecenas, along with Virgil and Horace.  Dedicated himself to the arts and stayed mostly out of Roman politics and military.  He also influenced his friend Ovid’s writing.  Wrote three more books in his career.

Major Works  Propertius writes a total of four books of elegies, though some argue his second book should be counted as two books merged into one.  As he developed as a poet so to did his interests as he went from poems on just love to philosophy, mythology and satire.  Cynthia however still made appearances even after her death.

Death  Propertius’ exact date of death is unknown.  Historians speculate it was after 16 BCE as his book covers some material that happened during that time but before 2 BCE as Ovid mentions that he is already dead at that point.

Impact  Propertius was famous in his time.  Graffiti preserved in Pompeii have some of his verses etched into walls.  He was also one of the main poets along Catullus and Ovid to break out of the boundaries of Classical Greek poetry and move into Roman love poetry.

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