Propertius facts for kids

Auguste Vinchon's painting of Propertius and Cynthia.

Sextus Propertius was an ancient Latin poet who wrote elegies. He lived during the time of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Propertius was born around 50 to 45 BC in a town called Assisium (which is now Assisi, Italy). He passed away shortly after 15 BC.

Propertius's poems are collected in four books, called Elegies. He was friends with other famous poets like Virgil. He also had a powerful supporter named Maecenas, who helped many artists. Through Maecenas, Propertius was connected to Emperor Augustus. Even though he wasn't as famous as some other poets in his own time, today, experts see him as a very important writer.

Propertius's Life Story

We don't know much about Propertius's life, except for what he wrote in his own poems. His first name, "Sextus," is mentioned by an old writer named Aelius Donatus. Most of his other names are not known.

From his poems, we know he was born and grew up in a region called Umbria, near Assisi. His family was quite wealthy. Today, you can even see the remains of a house in Assisi that might have belonged to his family.

Early Life and Education

When Propertius was a child, his father died. His family also lost some of their land. This probably happened when Octavian (who later became Emperor Augustus) gave land to his soldiers around 41 BC. This event, along with hints from another poet named Ovid, suggests Propertius was born after 55 BC.

After his father passed away, Propertius's mother wanted him to have a career in public service. This shows his family still had some money. His poems are full of complex stories from Greek and Roman myths, which means he had a very good education. He lived on Rome's Esquiline Hill and was friends with children from rich and powerful families.

His Books of Poems

Propertius published his first book of love poems around 30 BC. These poems were mostly about a character he called 'Cynthia'. Because the book was completely focused on her, it was called Cynthia Monobiblos (meaning "Cynthia, the one book").

This first book likely caught the attention of Maecenas, who was a big supporter of the arts. Maecenas invited Propertius to join his group of court poets. About a year later, Propertius published a second, larger book of elegies. This book included poems written directly to Maecenas and, as expected, praised Emperor Augustus.

A third book of poems came out after 23 BC. In this book, Propertius started writing about more than just love. Some poems used the idea of Amor (love) as a starting point for other topics. His fourth and final book, published after 16 BC, showed even more of his new goals. It included poems that explained the origins of various Roman traditions and famous places.

Book IV has fewer poems than his first book. Since his poetry was changing direction, experts believe he might have died shortly after it was published, stopping him from writing more. Another poet, Ovid, wrote in 2 BC that Propertius had already passed away by then.

Propertius's Poetry

Propertius is famous for his four books of elegies, which contain about 92 poems. All his poems are written in a style called the elegiac couplet. This was a popular way to write poetry in Rome during his time.

Cynthia, the Main Character

Like many poets of his time, Propertius's work often features one main female character. He calls her Cynthia throughout his poems. She is mentioned in more than half of the poems in his first book and appears in others too. The very first words of his first poem in Cynthia Monobiblos are about her:

While some old writers thought Cynthia was a real woman, most modern experts believe she was a scripta puella, a fictional "written girl." This was a common literary idea in Roman love poetry. Propertius often called her docta puella (meaning "learned girl"). He even described her as a female writer of poems. The "love story" in his poems goes through many ups and downs. Cynthia clearly seems to control the poet's life in his poems, at least through the third book.

Changing Themes

It's hard to know the exact dates for many of Propertius's poems. But they describe common feelings like declarations of love, strong emotions, jealousy, arguments, and sadness. The last two poems in Book III seem to show a final break with Cynthia. In his last book, Book IV, Cynthia is only the subject of two poems, like a final note. The complex feelings in their relationship are shown in a sad, but also funny, poem from the last book. Cynthia's ghost speaks to Propertius from beyond the grave, complaining that her funeral wasn't fancy enough. Yet, the poet's longing for her remains in the last line: inter complexus excidit umbra meos. ("Her ghost then slipped away from my embrace.")

Book IV clearly shows Propertius wanted to take his poetry in a new direction. This book includes several "aetiological" poems. These poems explain the mythical origins of Rome and its famous places. Some experts think these poems might even have been a subtle way of criticizing Emperor Augustus. The last poem in the book is a touching message from a recently deceased woman named Cornelia. She comforts her husband and their three children. This poem is considered one of the best in his collection because of its dignity and emotion.

Propertius's Influence

Propertius himself said he was popular and even caused some talk in his own time. Another famous poet, Horace, seemed to hint that Propertius's style was a bit too much for some. However, Propertius's popularity is shown by his verses found in old writings on walls in Pompeii. Also, the poet Ovid often used Propertius's ideas for his own poems.

Propertius was mostly forgotten during the Middle Ages. But he was rediscovered during the Italian Renaissance, along with other ancient poets. The famous poet Petrarch's love poems definitely show Propertius's influence. Even Pope Pius II titled a collection of his early poems "Cinthia." Some poems called "Propertian Elegies" are thought to be by the English writer Ben Jonson, though this is debated. The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1795 collection of "Elegies" also shows he knew Propertius's poetry.

In more recent times, Propertius is the main character in a poem by Joseph Brodsky called "Anno Domini" (1968). His relationship with Cynthia is also explored in Robert Lowell's poem, "The Ghost. After Sextus Propertius."

Modern Views of Propertius

In the 20th century, the poet Ezra Pound wrote a poem called "Homage to Sextus Propertius." Pound saw Propertius as someone who used satire and even questioned authority. Pound's interpretation of the elegies presented them as early examples of his own art theory, called Imagism. Pound believed Propertius showed what he called 'logopoeia', which is "the dance of the intellect among words."

Because of his unique style, his focus on inner thoughts, and the very personal nature of his poems, Propertius has become a favorite in modern times. Several new English translations of his work have been published since 2000. The famous playwright Tom Stoppard even suggests in his play The Invention of Love that Propertius was important in shaping what we now call "romantic love."

See also

In Spanish: Propercio para niños