'withstood'; see note on el. 16. 29. So in the imitation by Ov. Tr. 3. 5. 38 Dardanii lacrimas non tulit ille senis.

29. falsa gaudia, 'unreal,' comp. pseudo-Tibull. 3. 6. 33 imitari gaudia falsa to counterfeit joy; Ter. Andr. 1. 2. 9 duci falso gaudio. Cf. Consol. ad Liv. 37 gaudia uana foues: spem pone, miserrima, falsam. cupidus cupidus laedendi Quint. 5. 7. 16. Prop. frequently omits to define the sphere of a word closely where it can be gathered from the context; see Introduction. liuor. As we say envy,' substituting for the class a concrete personification of the classquality. liuor is the black' or 'blackening' disposition; cf. Hor. Sat. 1. 4. 85 (of a calumniator) hic niger est; hunc tu, Romane, caueto.

30. The vagueness of the expression here is to be observed. destitit ire probably means has given up going,' 'relinquished the idea of going.' Compare the strange expression III. 13 (11). 36 amator desisto. Then uias includes the journey to the coast as well as the sea voyage, and probably also the metaphorical course' on which Cynthia had embarked by casting in her lot with a new lover. nouas, in a bad sense, which is still more strongly marked in v. 4. 68 nescia uae furiis accubuisse nouis. For Propertius' dislike of the unfamiliar which is partly that of Roman conservatism see el. 5. 5 n.

31-36. 'She calls me dear to her, and Rome for my sake most dear. Without me she says that no royalty is sweet. Yea, she chose to rest with me in a narrow bed, to be mine, whatsoever the terms, rather than the ancient realm of richdowered Hippodamia to have for her own, rather than the riches that Elis gained in old time by its steeds.'

Observe the

31. illi goes with carus, not with dicitur. exquisite skill with which the couplet is constructed. The poet begins by trying to express the facts as simply and soberly as possible (illi carus ego), but his joy seems to overmaster him and break into a climax, yet with an indirectness (Roma) which is doubly effective. First the contrast between ego and Roma heightens the impression of uncontrollable feeling. He has guarded the main channel of passion, but it has found an outlet in spite of him. Then again it is suggested that even what is remotely connected with Propertius is dear to Cynthia, not himself only, but the city which holds him. Lastly the whole is softened by the vague passive dicitur. Fropertius has certainly a title to his name of blandus.

32. sine me, contrast v. 4. There Cynthia will face the most adverse conditions to abandon Propertius; here she will not do it for the most tempting proposals. Compare pseudoTibull. 3. 3. 23 sit mihi paupertas tecum iucunda, Neaera, at sine te regum munera nulla uolo. dulcia negat. For the adjective used as a pred. without case see III. 22. 41 (18. 51) crudelem Borean rapta Orithyia negauit: 1. 6. 9 illa meam mihi se iam denegat: so IV. 14 (15). 29 et durum Zethum et lacrimis Amphiona mollem expertast: 1. 5. 19 graue seruitium discere: 1. 7. 19 tum me non humilem mirabere saepe poetam.

33. angusto lecto, i. e. a humble bed'; so in 11. 1. 45.

34. quocumque modo. Contrast again v. 4, and for the expression quouis modo v. 4 of the next elegy and n.

35. sibi, 'for herself'; compare el. 5. 3. dari is not to be supplied, as P. says. uetus, very nearly ȧpxatóTλOUTOV; cf. Hor. Od. 1. 15. 8 et regnum Priami uetus. Hippodamiae. See note on el. 2. 19. A greater king than Pelops' was a proverb: IIéλomos Baσiλeúтepos Tyrt. 17. 12 (8) (Bergk).

36. Elis, perhaps where Cynthia's lover had proposed to take her. ante pararat. To a modern reader this seems more naturally to mean 'amassed before Hippodamia's time,' and it may do so. But it is more probable that ante = 'in past times' III. 24 (20). 7 hoc perdidit ante puellas, so iv. 2 (3). 6, &c., and that pararat is the Propertian use of the pluperf. where the perf. is more usual. See Introduction. equis. The greatness of Elis was founded on the Olympian contests; and of these the most important was the chariot race.

37-40. Though he offered much, though he would have offered more, yet greed did not drive her from my arms. Not by gold, not by Indian shells could I move her, but by the gracious homage of my song.'

37. quamuis...quamuis. v. el. 16. 30 n. daret, daturus. The sense wavers between 'give' and 'offer' in a way which it is not easy to reproduce. Prop. probably means he offered to give much, and he would have given more.' daturus. For the omission of esset see Introduction.

38. fugit sinus. The opposite expression in pseudo-Tibull. 4. 3. 24 in nostros ipse recurre sinus. It is worth observ

ing that sinus is never used for the 'breast' as the seat of the affections, a sense in which even good scholars often employ it in their verses. auara, closely with fugit. Cf. el. 16. 20 n.

Cf.

39. hanc, the illa of the previous verse. On Prop.'s use of pronouns see Introduction. conchis, pearl-shells. ps.-Tib. 3. 3. 13 in Erythraeo legitur quae litore concha.

40. blandi 'winning'; Ovid's epithet for Propertius. See Introduction. carminis obsequio, i.e. by being humoured

in my song.

41-46. Then the Muses are no dream and Apollo is not dull to the lover. On them I lean and love; the peerless Cynthia is mine. Now on the highest stars I may set my feet. Come day, come night, she is mine. No rival steals from me that trusty love. This glory shall not vanish till my hairs are white.'

41. sunt 'really exist'; they are real powers, cf. Tib. 1. 5. 57 sunt numina amanti. So in Ov. Am. 3. 3. 1 esse deos i crede; fidem iurata fefellit. Stat. Sil. 1. 4. 1 (in a similar jubilant outburst) estis, io, superi. tardus 'slow to answer and aid, indifferent'; cf. el. 1. 37 supr. tardas aures, and, with more of the physical sense, el. 10. 16 dominae tardas fores 'slow-opening.'

42. rara 'seldom found, hard to match'; el. 17. 16 quamuis dura tamen, rara puella fuit, Ov. M. 14. 337 rara quidem facie, sed rarior arte canendi. RARISSIMA CONIVNX &c. are frequent in epitaphs.

P.'s

43. summa. 'The loftiest star of unascended heaven.' Shelley. licet. In the range of feeling Propertius prefers the possible to the actual. contingere sidera plantis. illustrations of this phrase are not strictly in point. In Hor. Od. 1. 1. fin. sublimi feriam sidera uertice the human dilates and rises to divine stature. In Theocr. 5. 144 és oúpavòv vμμiv άλeûμaι ‘I will leap sky high' springing exultation seems to itself able to perform the highest tasks. Here the sense is 'I shall walk a god among the gods'; cf. 111. 6 (5). 10 immortalis ero si altera talis erit. Thus in Catull. 66. 69 the lock, now a star, says me nocte premunt uestigia diuom. contingere unites the ideas of 'touching' and 'reaching,' Aen. 4. 259 ut primum alatis tetigit magalia plantis.

45. certos proved,' and so 'to be depended on, true;' cf. III. 27 (21). 19 certos nunc spondet amores, so of persons III. 19 (16). 20 tu mihi certus erus. subducit. The balance of мs, au

thority is in favour of the pres. and it is the more poetical reading. The present and the past are to be one in Propertius' love, a continuous bliss. Comp. pseudo-Tib. 4. 13. 1 nulla tuum nobis subducet femina lectum (an apparent imitation of Propertius).

46. ista, see note on v. 39. norit would in Gr. have probably been úveσrat, 'will befriend or accompany my old age.' It is also possible to explain it as a hypallage for 'mea canities nouit gloriam istam,' the acquaintance being supposed mutual. For the preference of an indefinite expression cf. el. 9. 14 note.

I. ix.

INTRODUCTION.

ADDRESSED to Ponticus for whom see Introduction.

From

1. 7 we gather that Ponticus had rallied the poet on his lovesick strains and had advised him instead to take tragic or epic subjects. Propertius defends himself there and warns Ponticus that love may be in store to him; see verses 15-20 and 25, 26 tu caue nostra tuo contemnas carmina fastu: saepe uenit magno faenore tardus amor.

ARGUMENT.

My prediction is verified. Love has come to you, mocker, and come with a vengeance (1-4). In matters of love I am a sure prophet; but it is a gift which has cost me dear (5-8). Away with your epic poem and attempt some more attractive style (9-14). What if your love were unrequited? (15, 16). This is only a foretaste of what is coming. Love always makes his victims feel his power (17-24). Your very success is dangerous. There is nothing so insidious as a lover's endearments (25-32). Give me the confidence then to which I am entitled. Confession will ease your pain (33, 34).

1-4. 'I told thee, mocker, that love would come to thee, that not for everlasting would a freeman's speech be thine. See, thou art prostrate and comest a suppliant to a girl's command, and a bought maid rules thee as she will.'

1. dicebam, i.e. 'with something of prophetic strain'; Gr. OVK yoрevov; Ov. Am. 1. 14. 1 dicebam medicare tuos desiste capillos.' So dixit Tib. 1. 6. 55='predicted.' Comp. v. 6.

irrisor yyeλaora; apparently only here and in Cic. Parad. 1. 3. 13 (with a gen.).

2. libera uerba 'unshackled freedom of speech.' It is the freedom Prop. prays for in el. 1. 28 q. v., and which is lost in the seruitium of love (el. 5. 19); compare Eur. Phoen. 392 δούλου τόδ ̓ εἶπας μὴ λέγειν ἅ τις φρονεῖ.

3. ecce, the looû or hvide of Meleager; see Introduction. Compare Ovid Am. 3. 9. 39 iacet, ecce, Tibullus. iaces, like a captive on the ground; so v. 11. 38. Compare also its application in 1. 6. 25 me sine quem uoluit semper fortuna iacere, hanc animam extremae reddere nequitiae. to receive the commands of:' cf. Ov. Am. 1. 2. 20 porrigimus uictas ad tua iura manus. puellae, probably ‘a girl:' possibly 'a servant,' ancillae.

ad iura

4. quouis modo, 'in any way she please'; cf. note on el. 8. 34. empta. An attachment of this kind was considered discreditable to a freeborn Roman. Compare Hor. Od. 2. 4 which is an exhortation to Xanthias Phoceus not to be ashamed of his affection for his slave; and so in Hor. Od. 1. 27. 14 quae te cumque domat Venus, non erubescendis adurit ignibus ingenuoque semper amore peccas.

5-8. In the field of love Chaonian doves could not surpass me in saying what youths each maid shall tame. Woe and tears have given me a just title to this skill: and oh! that I could lay my love aside and men call me tiro.'

Chaonia is

5. Chaoniae, the prophetic doves of Dodona. the name of the province of Epirus nearest the sea, and hence that of Epirus generally. Its use in this phrase is the more harsh, as Dodona is in the interior. The appeal to the doves of Dodona is the more appropriate from Dione, the mother of Aphrodite, being worshipped there. See Carapanos Dodone et ses Ruines pp. 134, 135, 145. in amore, one of the commonest phrases in Propertius. It occurs no less than 19 times alone and 15 with an epithet as 1. 6. 27. uincant dicere, a very bold construction. uincant is substituted for the equivalent phrase meliores sint. The inf. is for the gerund with a preposition, meliores ad dicendum, in imitation of the Greek use; Roby 1361, 1363. So non fallor in Lucan 7. 287 caelum cum lancea transit, dicere non fallor quo sit uibrata lacerto. Cf. Introduction.

6. domet, 'shall tame'; the regular use, though P. seems to imply the opposite: see Roby 1507 where the rule is clearly stated.