the 12th century A.D. I think attention should be directed to him as he certainly has some very obvious imitations of Euripides, Theocritus, &c., which may be of importance in determining the text of those authors'. Then for some centuries Propertius disappeared from the world. The deluge of barbarism Modern writers. which swept over the civilized world sub merged his works like those of so many of the ancients. We do not hear anything of him till we Petrarch and get to Petrarch, who, without doubt, had seen or possessed a copy, as he both mentions and imitates Propertius. Dante probably knew his works; at any rate the coincidence in the note on Iv. 2 (3). 22 is very striking. But Dante would have little sympathy with Propertius. Tasso and Ariosto also imitated him; e. g. Jerusalem Delivered Canto 6 Stanzas 104, 105 Prop. v. 4. 31-34, and exx. in the notes. Henceforward Propertius may be said to have regained a place among classical poets; and it is unnecessary to pursue his literary influence further, now that it no longer bears upon the history of his text. Gocthe. But I may ask leave to quote from the Introduction to Jacob and Binder's German translation a sentence upon Propertius from the great critic-poet of Germany which may be set against the comparative neglect of him in England. The following is the entry in Goethe's diary for Nov. 28, 1798. "The Elegies of Propertius, of which I have read the greater part in Knebel's translation, 1 The following are the passages I have noted in which he may have had Propertius before him (I quote from Boissonade's edition) 1. 148, 273; 11. 127 sqq., 326; III. 10, 12, 46, 184, 235, 251; iv. 355, 413; v. 135; vi. 349, 369 sqq., 437, 475; VIII. 231. 2 On the triumph of Love 'L' un era Ovidio e l'altr' era Catullo, L' altro Properzio che d' amor cantaro Fervidamente; e l'altr' era Tibullo.' 3 E.g. as in Sonn. 220 Prop. 11. 6. 13, 14. have produced an agitation (Erschütterung) in my nature, such as works of this kind are wont to cause: a desire to produce something similar which I must evade, as at present I have quite other things in view." FASTI PROPERTIANI. B. C. 66. Birth of Gallus. 57. Birth of Tibullus. 50. Birth of PROPERTIUS. 43. Birth of Ovid. 42. Propertius loses his paternal estate. 34. Assumes toga uirilis. 28. Becomes acquainted with Cynthia (Hostia). 25. First book published. 23. Rupture with Cynthia. After 23. Publication of second and third books (11. III. IV.). 18. Leges Iuliae. Marriage of Propertius. Previous death of Cynthia. 16. Poem celebrating performance of ludi quinquennales, v (IV). 6. Before A.D. 2. Death of Propertius. After A.D. 2. * Posthumous publication of last book. ** It must be remembered that several of the above dates are purely conjectural. CYNTHIA prima suis miserum me cepit ocellis contactum nullis ante cupidinibus. tum mihi constantis deiecit lumina fastus et caput impositis pressit Amor pedibus, donec me docuit castas odisse puellas improbus et nullo uiuere consilio. et mihi iam toto furor hic non deficit anno, cum tamen aduersos cogor habere deos. Milanion nullos fugiendo, Tulle, labores saeuitiam durae contudit Iasidos. nam modo Partheniis amens errabat, in antris, ibat et hirsutas ille uidere feras; ille etiam Hylaei percussus uolnere rami saucius Arcadiis rupibus ingemuit. ergo uelocem potuit domuisse puellam : tantum in amore preces et bene facta ualent. in me tardus Amor non ullas cogitat artes nec meminit notas, ut prius, ire uias. P. P. 1 5 10 15 at uos, deductae quibus est fallacia lunae et labor in magicis sacra piare focis, en agedum dominae mentem conuertite nostrae et facite illa meo palleat ore magis. tunc ego crediderim uobis et sidera et amnes et uos qui sero lapsum reuocatis, amici, in me nostra Venus uoces exercet amaras, et nullo uacuus tempore defit amor. 20 25 30 hoc, moneo, uitate malum: sua quemque moretur 35 cura, neque adsueto mutet amore locum. quod si quis monitis tardas aduerterit aures, heu! referet quanto uerba dolore mea. 33 noctes. I.. ii Beauty unadorned. Quid iuuat ornato procedere, uita, capillo naturaeque decus mercato perdere cultu nec sinere in propriis membra nitere bonis? crede mihi, non ulla tuaest medicina figurae : nudus Amor formae non amat artificem. aspice quos summittat humus formosa colores, ut ueniant hederae sponte sua melius, surgat et in solis formosius arbutus antris, et sciat indociles currere lympha uias. litora natiuis praelucent picta lapillis et uolucres nulla dulcius arte canunt. non sic Leucippis succendit Castora Phoebe, Pollucem cultu non Hilaira soror, non, Idae et cupido quondam discordia Phoebo, Eueni patriis filia litoribus, nec Phrygium falso traxit candore maritum auecta externis Hippodamia rotis; sed facies aderat nullis obnoxia gemmis, qualis Apelleis est color in tabulis. non illis studium uolgo conquirere amantes: non ego nunc uereor, ne sim tibi uilior istis. unica nec desit iucundis gratia uerbis, 5 το 15 20 25 omnia quaeque Venus quaeque Minerua probat. 30 his tu semper eris nostrae gratissima uitae, taedia dum miserae sint tibi luxuriae. |