Propertius 20 Flashcards
Miserum me
Poor me
Quickly lets us know how he feels
Nullis ante cupidinibus
Before then I was untouched by any desire
Seems she was first one he fell for
tum mihi constantis deiecit lumina fastus et caput impositis pressit Amor pedibus
Then love forced me to lower my gaze of steady hauteur and trampled my head with is feet
Juxtaposition of Amor meaning love emphasises that love gets everyone in the end. The imagery of love shows it to be forceful and violent which makes us think of Ovid
donec me docuit castas odisse puellas improbus, et nullo vivere consilio
until the wicked one taught me to hate chaste girls and to live without plan
If he is forced to hate chaste girls what does it say about Cynthia?- bit of a girl around town.
improbus
the wicked one
love makes you do bad things- Ovid again
furor
madness
madness of love i.e. not successful
toto anno
whole year
love is long lasting
cogor
I am forced
like pressit meaning forced in line 4
Milanion
Reference to Hippomenes
Most ancient hold that Milanion (Hippomenes) won Atalanta’s hand in marriage by beating her in a footrace, in which he threw golden apples on the course to distract her and ensure his own victory. Propertius, however gives a vague account of a series of hunting expeditions undertaken with the aim of impressing her, ultimately ending in conflict with the centaur Hylaeus, in which Milaon sustained an impressive injury. Whether because she pitied him or she was impressed by his wound, Atalanta loved Milanion thereafter. Propertius’ account is, more or less, about as un-romantic as the traditional version. The Milanion myth illustrates the idea that obedient service brings success in love (but for Propertius this no longer applies)
Milanion nullos fugiendo, Tulle, labores saevitiam durae contudit lasidos.
Tullus Milanion, crushed the savagery of lasus’ harsh daughter by not fleeing any hardship
lasus’ daughtuer is Atalanta. Tullus is a friend of propertius but doesnt uderstand the amount of passion he has
velocem puellam
swift girl
Atalanta
saucius
injured
He was willing to with stand an injury for her
in me tardus Amor non ullas cogitat artes nec meminit notas, ut prius, ire vias
For me, Love is sluggish, it does not consider any skills, and does not remember the well-known roads of before
This contrasting propertius and Milanian beacuse Milanian fought hard to tame Atalanta which isnt exactly romantic, and in contrast propertius isnt exactly giving it his all. He Doesnt seem to be able to rustle up the energy or the enthusiasm to chase his girl
domuisse
tame
Milanion finally succeeded
But you whose trick it is
as if to say who are you gonna call?
and make her face blanch paler than my own
effect of love
lure… magic… spells
asking for a witches help
Clochian spell
reference to Medea
friends
Asking his friends
seek out the remidies for unsound hearts
So he doesnt want to love her any more? Like Catullus
cauterization and knife
this was a slave punishment and he doesnt want to feel like this anymore
If only I’m free to speak as my anger wants. Carry me through the farthest people and seas, where never a woman can follow my spoor
Does he hate or love her? Does he want to keep trying or give up and forget her?
Stay to whom the god inclines a complaint ear
God refferes to god of love and here he is talking about people who are succesful in love
Our Venus plies bitter nights against me
Propertius is not successful
Be warned avoid my woe. Let each be held by his own suit, dont change the seat of accustomed love
Dont do what I do- Stick with what you know- the grass isnt always greener on the other side- Think of Horace 32
But if anyone heeds my warning too late, alas how greviously he will recall my words
If you dont follow my advice you too will end up ‘miserum me’-poor me (line 1)
