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Intro to Roman Love Elegy. Professor Jennifer Rea jrea@classics.ufl.edu Office Hours: W 1-4 in Dauer 142 and gladly by appointment. About the Professor. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin MA from Indiana University PhD in 1999 from Wisconsin
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Intro to Roman Love Elegy Professor Jennifer Rea jrea@classics.ufl.edu Office Hours: W 1-4 in Dauer 142 and gladly by appointment
About the Professor • Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin • MA from Indiana University • PhD in 1999 from Wisconsin • Areas of specialty: Augustan Age and Roman material culture
How I Spent My Summer Vacation • I am editing my book, Legendary Rome, which will be published by Duckworth in 2007.
What is Elegy? • Modern term usually means a poem of mourning for the dead • In the ancient world the poem could also be about love or praise • Greek influence (especially Callimachus) has poems about death or an encomium (praise)
Roman Love Elegy • The Romans added love to the list of elegy topics and the world has never been the same since . . . • Erotic love and courtesans abound in this world • Book you are about to read is called the Monobiblios
Quis Est Propertius? • Very little is known about the poet and his life • Sextus Propertius • Born around 57 BC, dead by 2 AD.
Quis est Cynthia? • Propertius’ lover • Real name was Hostia • She was probably a meretrix • Affair most likely did not last more than 5 years
Rome in Propertius’s time • The Palatine hill housed the legendary foundations of the city
Rome in Propertius’s time, II • The Capitoline hill was the center of Roman religious and political space
Course Objectives • To discuss some of the common themes of Latin Love Poetry and Elegy • To improve your Latin skills • To have interesting class discussions about the Roman conceptions of love, sex and gender
First four lines are very similar to an epigram of the Greek author Meleager (acknowledge your predecessor) Original Greek poem was to a young man Cynthia is prima but . . . . Milanion and Atalanta girl acts like boy, gets treated like one Love is treated as though it is a near-fatal disease Who is the poet’s anger aimed at? Some context for Propertius 1.1
The Question No One Asks When Reading Latin What determines how good you can be at something? Is it talent or practice or really, really expensive coaching?
What words modify me in 1.1-2? What case is fastus in 1.3? What other word does it agree with? Who is the subject of docuit in 1.5? What case is anno in 1.6 and why? What is fugiendo in 1.8? How would you translate it? What does amens (1.11) mean? Who does saucius (1.14) modify? What construction follows facite (1.22)? Pre-Reading Guide, Poem 1
What case is vobis and why (1.23)? What word does non go with (1.26)? What verb is ira the subject of and how do you translate quae (1.28)? What word does meum modify (1.30)? Does the verb annuit (1.31) look familiar to you? It should, as most of you see it every day. What form is pares (1.32)? Pre-Reading Guide Con’t
For class next Wednesday • You are responsible for Propertius 1.1 and Propertius 1.2 • The assignment is answering ALL of the questions on the pre-reading guide and translating both poems • If you have trouble translating a passage, you must come back to class knowing the vocabulary for the poem and be able to explain why you are having difficulties.
