Elegiae
About this book
Of all the Greek and Latin love poets, Propertius (c.50-10 BC) is one of those who perhaps holds most immediate appeal for the twentieth century reader. His helpless infatuation for the sinister figure of his mistress Cynthia forms the main subject of his poetry, and is analysed with a tormented but witty grandeur in all its changing moods - from ecstacy to suicidal despair. The son of an Umbrian landowner who fought on the wrong side in the Civil War after Caesar's murder, he lost his father and most of his family estate in boyhood and was brought up by his mother. He was able nevertheless to reject a legal or military career and to devote his life to the art of poetry, in which he is a far more self-conscious practitioner than most of the other Latin poets. His modern popularity was furthered in particular by Ezra Pound's Homage to Sextus Propertius (1919).
Reader Profile
3.9/5 · 201 readers · 174 pages · ≈ 3 h 13 m · Demanding
How long does it take to read Elegiae?
About ≈ 3 h 13 m — 174 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.
How many pages is Elegiae?
174 pages in its most-read edition.
What genre is Elegiae?
It sits on the Poetry shelves.
Is Elegiae in the public domain?
Yes — it is free to read and share.
Who are the main characters in Elegiae?
The main characters include Sextus Propertius.
Where does Elegiae take place?
It is set in Rome.
Who wrote Elegiae?
Sextus Propertius.
Where can I read Elegiae online for free?
It is in the public domain — read it free on Open Library