Propertius

Propertius

Professor Sullivan proposes what was, at the time of publication, a new view on Propertius' poetic development and his place in the social political and literary circles of the day. His was an important re-evaluation. It finally banished the picture of Propertius as a simple romantic, apprehended dimly through poor texts and an obscure vocabulary.

Propertius

Propertius: Elegies

Propertius, though his works are small in volume, is one of the foremost poets of the Augustan age, and his writing has a certain appeal to modern tastes (witness the admiration of Ezra Pound). Book I is especially suitable for the reader wanting a representative selection of Propertius' poetry. It stands on its own, having appeared in the first place as a separate collection; it reflects a distinct phase of the poet's activity (and of his emotional development); and it is the book which made his reputation. This edition is designed for the pocket of the university student, but it should find a wider audience among classicists of all ages. The introduction provides the necessary historical and critical background and relates Book I to the rest of the elegies; the notes are helpful and to the point; and the text has a reasonable minimum of apparatus. There are no modern editions of this size and scope.