(CHAPTER FIVE PROPERTIUS AND PROPERTIAN. ELEGY’S EPIGRAM RIFFS: RADICAL POET/RADICAL CRITICS RICHARD F. THomas, HARVARD UNIVERSITY ner Clinch sat et place tos ‘euiise mis, Coe pot tus Propet 394-44 i “ior yh, moi, ce armen gues rept o form 2 trl raroen ich Midleton, Sing Popular Music 1902002 ‘Ts CHAPTER EXPLORES the relationship between Greek and Roman spieram and Roman elegy specifically that of ley'sgrestes practioner Propet, dhe condition of whose ext isa the heat of the question Tt the hypothesis ofthe cuter stay that Propertian elegy wan capable of evering oor otherwise playing with one oft major source genres, that of epigram, a produced especialy inthe Helles prod from the fs, ‘quartet of the third century BCE. This hypothesis is demonstrable end ‘unproblematic in the case ofthe two poems tha end the Momabibos (121 and 1.22)? On te oer hand, the opening of the fist poem (1-1-4 ef Meleager. AP 12101.1-4), demonstrate how Gresk eigram may be fly lnegrated into @ new, larger and difetens context ahd so conceal ie enericcrgin 35 it simply becomes one component of whats normaly thought of a atypical, unified elegy Twill ge that there i 4 middle _roand, consisting of certain pooms that may more producivel be rea loosely connected epirams, rahe than emended with varying degrees of violence 508 to fi notion of what elegy. which I ak, ia the case of Propetias, to be a pare largely without generic rales, must ook ikeoy sper ve ‘Outside Propertus thre is cleatly support for such an approach, For instance o tay witiathe genre of Roman elegy, the poems ascribed 10 Sulpcia at Till 3-12-20 (47-14) consist of en, eight, for, i sit, six, twenty-four and four Hines respectively. Most of these are loosely ‘connected (Spica on he love for Cera), and, moreover, the 24Line poem (319) lacks the obvious unity of the most unified elegies of Propet or Tbullas, and is broken up into five, "sections" epigrams) by Some editors (1-4, 5-12, 13-16, 17-20, 21-24)" clear acknowledgement of is disjoitedess. Moreover, paprolozcal finds of recent years ‘Similarly support bot the post tat an author primarily considered fan elegt could prodace epigrams, and the plausibility of fess stark cGelinschue) well characterizes tha pot “Callinacs pc fy ‘Ri standards) short various in style, mete, and pene; vperinened form, rsoadits in diction, polish in versifcaton, Yeviows cabanas atusive, and sometimes obscure, If this i a lepiimte meso atimachs, why shoud those same qualities offend, and soon in edo ‘sews, in Roman poet wio labelled himself the "Roman Callnechoe'y Nove ofthis o deny ht the ext of Proprias i hope cope indeed, there ae numerous instances in Propertis where eter ee obviously jusied in suspecting someting is ong with the tare Proper and Popeian Eey's Epigram Rts » tah oe ca ee oe of kl, ad le sme timendatons may: meet the satiation sn appebation of al e most Teast oes ak 00 mh sgt seta any el change ‘rar ie de so norcross find prc f a oct and genre ely devo of ae se linear thought is ‘hazardous in the extreme, The sensible product of a “ica” eitor may ead op playing conservatism th poses ly an sense, ands obscier fhe dernty of a radial poet This Parc he se wth aspen, whos fen ce ny Of tog soa to proee a well-wrought urn, Whose ur hugh 2. Kpigrams, elegies or fragments and ars transponendi When isan clay mow tke an eigram ora seis of enirams, a srt il una ae at waa ‘tiga? In denying the possity of slowing pimma couplets Stns of opie onde neg Heyer ton twee a “agent ke his a2 ate of manic, bua apy wollow at ropes cued frpments that ook ke epg an Bt Spt sod complicate near pogeson hi "ecg George Gono wtone ‘a es hry Peri ai an vera indabied, im all sors of postive ways Overt te cae for epost fi uot Boer nd Bae iS Bae “Wi ea the dats remedy of wholesale anos, sucha at teen employed or suggest by Scaler, Cart Housman, Poste Richmond, it cae be jel nl some teased explana foaoming”. Goold hen empha dares ning hr m0 ms o epi how th wamposton cured" we can bese hath Sone re no bee ren omits p's desig re, ne npn at veer thn vee) se let ance we we rosy tasers Oh ee a ‘as write i 1967, though Sako tr hat mie een sprees ‘rine sal ponv views about he ability to esr Be Sega Poet andor rn. Which to sty th hose who all free hangs in he text ny nt bgt in any of thse of any er sch Gases, but moving couples sound in rd to fender he deserted ‘sign isacvclr ad haar sins adit ion tampon a wil ees, phenometon which digits Heywors OCT i serous and problematic ways.” Couper Five To take one example the long couplet of he closing setence of 26, cing Lacan's ducer for Ne me dct eas woor) at 41 (Prop. 2.6.37-42): eee at ‘0 igri cases, goa nin ponam ‘ne mingiam spa pe imi ca” am ii insta ised prod ‘am pcre pe, Quist etest 4 ‘zor amor, sg dae! mica ‘semper amica mh emperor is ‘Bs poms wale abou elu and porns ht encourages (1-8) Comins door is trong by mre men tan wth hesbol of ‘Metanic’ Thais or the wey bats Pry: (0-1) the poe eos ‘au ists of everything, pose of ung men, tay bos i he dle, men in dag escaping eto: (15-18 th that eo wat “Tray and with he apts and Cetus (19-22) thre ae examples let tohome, eg Romults who ast ow orp he Sane wore (a) app» Ales, happy Pensa, In hat thy snk to tele hes thesis. Wo'sthe pono ils oon ape of eth, ts ow bet as they wish (27-36) crete ptt who x dept Sexual cach, which pu ideas io the Reade of young womex: ye who ci suck tings go Bind I was that ay inthe ol dye, wien here wisn such sey ow cobweb sed eas tke wer the eles, ‘Then com the closing lis in Gool's sigh meifedtasation: (97-2) Wha urs hen what a el shall 15 fo ou ps ino en et my. ea None or» tm ad na ‘wling woman sft pecaton she who anal te mh rd wal cough, fae ook? ‘ers hl wie nvr sll mites par us: © me you sll verbo Goold, following Havet and Luck, ends the poem afes 40, and his 2.7 ‘gin with 2.6.4-2, an easy enough move given te lack of any pret ‘suthocky for poom divisions, though unnecessary in my view. But thre ‘6 mee, or apprely more, imentve options. Heyworth aeses he Propeins and Properian Fey's piram its 6 Iejscommonly accepted hat 4-2 do not ans tthe nd of I vi. Verse 7-40 bring the pom to a eee cee coming fom he or ‘trage over oom bean andporngapis at to how th igh fet Propeive and Combi, Hesy-banga peecton ie pees ti he Inalvdua ll tut aur. var costes «clas alason to te nding. On the ther has; {1-2 respond to nodig ie he poem Proper hse previo sid anyhing abou tating wife of oer ‘The “common belie” comes fom Seaiger who gave the een light by ‘moving the couplet (follow 27.20), and soit goes fom tha. Heyworth (Gafuable as always in recording the history of such eng) reject achmann’s view tht the couplet i an example of *Sehlusiaerplstion ‘since he ops to decide wheter or not so oregrd it depends ~ quite why {sot clea ~ on “wheter or no itcan finda comfortable home in the Wxt ‘of vi" (20070), 139. There seems to be an abundance of such homes, nce in addition fo Seager’ placement, suitable oes hav been found after 27.12 (Hitz) and afer 27-18 (Richardson) Ths lacer Heyworth finds “more pause” in tha ie gives a "soquence of hoe balanced lines leading up 10 the conclusion”. Not s0 plausible, however, as where he found them in Sandbac’s unpublished lecture notes, and sualy prints ‘hem inthe ne OCT, following 2.7.6. (Of the sx options (paradoss, one of fou new hom, itpolation) all are posible, five are of necessity wrong, and its near erat that none of the conjectural remedies is comect ~ that is, none ean be considered palary including Sandbach’, since none has or wil convince ll eer ‘of Propentas. This ial but a game, ie the game of composing Iaeunae {0 create logical progression from coupes whic the composer deems ot connected, But worse tis «game tat distracts fom contemplating the paresis, the ony place for which there is universal MS autor in thie ase. The fac is thee was no reason to evict or Suspect the couplet in the first place ‘Heywoct paraphrase the couplet with which he wants the poem to end: "Heavy-Randed proteton Is points; i isthe inva wl that mater. Sar contributes elosural allusion wo the ening” (00D), 138). ‘Why does a Properian poem need such closure, espocaly ‘when thee is hardly any closure ere at least not forthe mind of this pet, who ean hardly be feling any confidence if be ends “she whois eshned to say, {Cynthia is guarded wel enough’, He knows perf well hat Cyn ‘rany woman exposed to pamographi ar asthe alae thee day, lacks ‘Sich shame. ropes kus what he i dealing wih, ashe has already Said at the end ofthe previous poem, promising (0 wrie (2.5.28) "Cynthia16 Caper Five forme potens, Cynthia, werba leu"; at 2.6.1-8, she behaves like the anos hts of old and at 2818-19, while enclope and the Ones id had iplyed pudor even inthe midst of war, Cymhia covld at without maa fr single night. No, best end 2.6 with the couplet feeades is end in the Mss, following the (hopeless) appeal to pulon, foe the couplet proffer a dea, makes aly hint at aud pro quo ur aap umquam diducet anica 1 semper amica mi semper et usor en sep Wife ao mistress will come between you and me you wll ferret be mistress 1 me, forever wif” ~ Properis wil maintain pador eer she will grec to do the same. Cynthia has Known ‘nd cued abot Propet peceacills from hee frst wars to him (1338-6 “tandem astro referens iniurialecto/alteriu class expult ¢ fordbusy Se hs ‘oem ends with he al in her cour, 1 26 i allowed to end thus, it finds responsion ia the couplet that loses the next poem: 27.19-20 tu mii sola places: placas bt esata sola: / hic eit et patio nomine lurisamer you ar the only ef na {hope Cyothia 1 will be the only guy for you this love of mine is worth ‘more to me than the name of father Propertus is uncetin vad oa Pesuade: indicative for his own love; hopeful subjunctive for tat ‘Comhia— and a hyperbolic Mary inthe penameter to aid he persion stetori. The two closing coupes of 26 and 27 somewhere he osu of Callimachean epigram, a3 emerges. specially is a goed ranber of sittin: epigrams of the Hlleniste. post. Elghees ot Callus’ epigrams are six lines tong. OF these eleven or tele Evigr. & 13,21, 25, 27, 30, 31, 40, 41, 43, 44,38 PE) have 6 hed Souplet, of with «twist tot or a punchline that changes the fon Slishly or extends the point ofthe epigram,insoduces reversal rings E,movers and so fork. Pitfer thought 58 spurious, bur it i nec Celiachean inthe behavior under discussion) I is worth tng thee Callichea cepts, unlike those of Proprius, are pufelly comet xjanb fom pentameter to folowing hexamer, so these Tne souenlac ‘eal the more marked aa meaning In shor, Propertus 2.6.37-42. would work peefectly well ay an econ longi piss es nati 1NP2 _Cennap anda mother’s re Boner and els ‘ater no ea padre dite ec pot cops ier hua re, sed tuna ole att pero ring, ‘ne i po tamale Cras omne mare [NPS Cust of Np ad th Nord Wind ini Age, ape Orta, ‘qe pli il tants fe? su gidam aca guns, Neptne, cin? 5 orbs ales ion NPA. Too ea sons plas and mother's prayer Prt, ui setiem umes? id as aa rin re he? ao att ua de ‘um i nocturnal onaia dt inn ne ada » NPS Bren Agamemnon fered sch ls, by water and en land Sst Agumecponiss este or cuss Lina ro Aue ro qua aca Ipies mor. [NP Bring his Body tothe short bea sal” waning rete comes ae pot tn rt st ‘s Faso pr sac ‘det et and tina ese pteChapter Fe NPT Human lrg haan lost it pe tne ree ata mans. 30 ‘er pan feat fa acecims unde Tertanse mia sons tas NPS Sayar home or er thi fte screen, ue no tee aes? ‘uid memes cl aes prs os? etrunst undue pas: an ll cai 3s coscul ali porar te lem NPS Nature more caning than cre hero "tra insane srt sans th soe i seme ee pats, ‘sample epee Capers popes, ‘naga cum uasto Gri at al Poult socom tara let nes nar ca sot none de, ry [NP 10 Beer poverty home tan welt cos the ea ‘god sl cones pat boos vrs ars urbe aust pons haere me, ee an Ses dll om Ponts, 4s per, tn ra fle ope nature Paz, srorem adie pele tro tners lander fae mats 4 ty thao at ett ‘fu plana verso capa 30 NP 1 The a of ite: waver, igh inde thownded the le Set fsa wes Perens esos mle un era ng, tram ot ean [NP Y2Mdodious wars last word “Look homeward angel” ‘ers ane exes dt hae dat pees ‘in moras ier late om ler "aris Aca qaos Sut pene cur ‘quem mm dora und cap ‘worapis asco rina hin anos? ‘toms ons in aera @ sh mieraleyoum scope set ‘ame caerulea supa dene. Propet an Poperan egy’ pian its s Hse tala regis echt ests oc de a et ms sie” suber wg at “ tina gun Paso uorg doe at [NP 13 “Where were ye mympha © cetum aequreae Nero seiore pels, ts, ater tc dolore, Tt, os ecu so sappoaere ashi me non prt esas Baur mas. » NP 1g Sea oftove for met Seas Aga, mmguan me sa debs te oes dora nar opt er Some ofthe sections hae clear models inthe Platine Anthology, eters fare more fee inventions” Uniquely, Heyworth (20073), 19395 fs an appendix with the poem inthe odes appearing in N essentially the order ve above. Perhaps he had second thoht, and those using the new OCT 85 teaching text will be gratefal fortis appendix, which unlike the ‘version given in the body ofthe edion i at eat ere readable 1s the puradsis of 37, then, a plausible elegy, if one consisting of @ saris of elegy’s prime geare model, pigram, ae se out above? Its, it ‘might be worth coasidering it as an extreme model for oer poems in which the independence of ses of couplets within lege x pat heart ofthe posto preserve which we should resist the movers. immers aad txpanders'We have already" mentoned the opening fout Ties of Propetas 11, where che orginal epigram of Meleager i eas by the Syntax that sontinoestetween lies and. And ye, even inthis poem, Wwitia the reall unity thee is detectable a series of constituent epirams, all exceig perhaps that bepaning aut 25) more o less sll standing 1-8, 916, 7-24, 5-30 3-8, Meleager himself has series of epiras, in puticula wo Xenophila (29-40 Pag) and Heliodora 41-56 Page), tha ‘work in sinar ways, which may be why ts Meleager who sands the head of Prpertian clgy. Not only di his anthology bing the art of Hellenistic pir to Rome it alo pointe the way toa genre that could i mes reer to is beginnings, a radical backward move, viewed frm ‘he norms ofthe new gene of Reman elegy.