his literary friends were Virgil, for whose genius he expresses the warmest admiration in the well-known passage III. 32 (26). 61 sqq., his senior, and Ovid, his junior. The latter tells us he was united to Propertius by the right of friendship, and that he frequently heard him recite his love poems, opportunities which he certainly turned to good account. Other members of Propertius' circle of friends were Ponticus, an epic poet (1. 7; 9), also mentioned by Ovid (Tr. 4. 10. 47), Bassus (1. 4), possibly the same as the iambic poet mentioned by Ovid (1. c.), and Lynceus, possibly a pseudonym, a tragic writer (III. 32). Besides these we hear of Gallus, not improbably a relation of the poet's on the mother's side (1.5; 10; 13; 20) [distinct from the Gallus of 1. 21, for whom see above], Tullus, generally supposed to be a nephew of L. Volcatius Tullus, who was consul in B.C. 33 (1. 6; 14, iv. 22), Paetus (IV. 6 (7)), Panthus (III. 14 (13)), Postumus, the husband of an Aelia Galla (IV. 11 (12)), and Demophoon (1. 15 (14)). That this is a complete list of the friends of Propertius is not for an instant to be supposed. It only embraces those whose names have been associated with the surviving portion of his poems. We may well conjecture that Ovid is not the only instance of a distinguished contemporary enjoying his friendship without obtaining a place in his writings. the only poem addressed to him shews; III. 1, especially vv. 21— 24. His flattery of the emperor is no doubt gross to our taste: but not a whit more so than that of his contemporaries. We cannot in fairness censure him for calling a man deus to whom the Senate itself had decreed divine honours (Dion 51. 20) and of whom Horace could write Od. 3. 5 Caelo tonantem credidimus Iouem regnare: praesens diuus habebitur Augustus adiectis Britannis imperio grauibusque Persis, and 3. 3. 11 (Pollux et uagus Hercules) quos inter Augustus recumbens purpureo bibit ore nectar. This latter passage almost makes us suspect that there is some truth in the story of the cena Swdeкdeos Suet. Aug. 70, unless indeed it gave rise to the story itself, There are however two noteworthy omissions on which a word must be said. We hear no- Propertius and thing of Tibullus, his elegiac rival; nor of Tibullus. Horace, his predecessor in the favour of Maecenas. And Tibullus and Horace are equally silent about Propertius. The first omission, supposing it not to be accidental, may be explained without having recourse to the Kepaμeùs Kepaμeî hypothesis. Tibullus belonged to Messala's circle, and thus the two poets might never be thrown in each other's way. I do not believe that Propertius' assertions of originality are covertly aimed at Tibullus. The Propertian use and treatment of the elegy is sufficiently different from the Tibulline to warrant Propertius in claiming originality without interfering with existing claims. With Horace the case is different. Propertius could hardly Horace and fail to meet him at Maecenas' house and Propertius. elsewhere and to meet him frequently; and it has even been conjectured that the inquisitive fellow of Sat. 1. 9 is no other than our author. Though chronology seems to forbid the supposition, there is good reason for believing that the relations of Horace and Propertius were not particularly friendly. There is a passage in the second book of the Epistles 2. 87 sqq., which can hardly be anything but a direct attack upon Propertius. Frater erat Romae consulti rhetor ut alter Gracchus ut hic illi foret, huic ut Mucius ille. 1 By Volpi in his edition of Propertius, Prolegomena, pp. XV. sqq. Those who wish to see Volpi's ingenious reasoning may find a résumé of it in Professor A. Palmer's edition of the Satires in the Introduction to the poem in question (Macmillan, 1883). Prof. Palmer agrees in rejecting the idea. 2 The garrulus had lost his mother and relations (v. 27). Now Propertius' mother died, at the very earliest, in 28, which is a later date than is usually assigned to the publication of the Satires. carmina compono, hic elegos, mirabile uisu mox etiam, si forte uacas, sequere et procul audi 95 100 This has been already appreciated by Orelli in his note and by others; but as the full strength of the evidence has not yet been pointed out, I shall estimate it here. Horace is aiming at an elegiac and erotic poet who imitated Callimachus. The incisive expression in vv. 99, 100 will not allow us to suppose that Horace intends the criticism to be quite general. Who can this be but Propertius whose favourite boast is that he is the Roman Callimachus? v. 1. 63, 64 ut nostris tumefacta superbiat Vmbria libris, Vmbria Romani patria Callimachi'. In other respects too the identification is plausible. The charge of belonging to a clique of mutual admirers migh with a show of fairness be brought against one who, amongst other instances of exaggeration, compared his friend Ponticus to Homer (1. 7. 3, 4). The expression caelatum nouem Musis opus is not more extravagant than many in Propertius: IV. 4 (5). 19 me iuuat in prima coluisse Helicona iuuenta, Musarumque choris implicuisse manus; IV. 2. 13, 14 et Musae comites et carmina cara legenti et defessa choris Calliopea meis; IV. 1. 17 opus hoc de monte sororum and so on. Verse 96 is probably a hit at Propertius' frequent use of this metaphor with reference to himself, IV. 1. 19, 20 mollia, Pegasides, uestro date serta poetae; non 1 Propertius had a high opinion of Mimnermus also as an erotic poet. See 1. 9. 11. which a word must be Bring of Tonlus, his Horace, his predecesso. Toomas and Horace : 4.33. The first omis dental, may be explai the Kepapers Kepaući to Messala's circle, & never be thrown in ea that Properting asser aimed at Tibullus. T of the elegy is sufficien to warrant Propertius interfering with exis case is different. fail to meet him at N elsewhere and to me even been conjectured Bat. 1.9 is no other th logy seems to forbid reason for believing t Propertius were not p passage in the second which can hardly be a Propertius. Pro Frater erat Romae co alterius sermone me Gracchus ut hic illi qui minus argutos u By Volpi in his edit XV. sqq. Those who wis may find a resume of it : the Natives in the Introduc millan, 1983). Prof. Pal * The garrulus had los Now Proportius' mother d is a later date than is usual Nativos. these une other friends we can es passed some of s of his life. Some Life at Rome. mes a Lawn house on the Esquiline in what Maecenas, was one of the pleasantest "nr"s of" Pozze", but more frequently in those of his er friends, he would gratify his social inclinations 1 On Propertius' fondness for the word see m. 1.4 n. Ovid seems to have taken his friend's side in the quarrel ... with the notes. aments like those described in v. 6. 69 and ines, which united the refined pleasures of to the higher charms of congenial society ated discourse. On such occasions he would ekward in paying his homage to that God ship was then regarded in Rome as at once society and the infallible source of the poet's spiration'. He does not seem to have often ome. We read of his going to Tibur at a essage from his mistress (IV. 15 (16)) and owing her to the country (III. 12 (10)). We of his leaving her to take a sea-voyage, proGreece, in which he suffered shipwreck"; we find him intending to start on a visit to n the hope that absence may cure his love Personal pearance. ap ave very little information about Propertius' d dress. He was pale and thin, ls us himself, and probably uno, as he seems to have been frerallied on it by his friends. He paid con attention to his personal appearance, and-cul slow and impressive gait. His health seams. (5). 21 me iuuat et multo mentem uincire Lyaeo et uerna semper habere rosa, ib. 9 (10). 21 nox inter rrat, v. 6. 75 ingenium positis irritet Musa poetis; oles Phoebo fertilis esse tuo. This is the origin of he most charming of his poems; I. 3, III. 27 (21), Iv. s seems to be the meaning of 1. 17 compared with the to it in IV. 24 haec ego, non ferro, non igne coactus, et ragus Aegaea uerba fatebar aqua. 22 et facite illa meo palleat ore magis, III. 15 (13). 21 si exiles uideor tenuatus in artus, falleris; I. 5. 21 nec rem totiens mirabere nostrum aut cur sim toto corpore 15 (5) nequiquam perfusa meis unguenta capillis, penso planta morata gradu. |