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The gendered characterization of the Propertian lover-poet does not fit comfortably into either the role of a traditionally masculine elite male Roman or that of an effeminate elegiac lover. This dissertation argues for a lover-poet whose gender role draws on and reacts to elements from both of these pre-existing roles with the end result of a character that disidentifies with Roman gender roles and exists outside of the binary oppositions that they provide. The lover-poet’s characterization is intimately bound to that of his elegiac puella, usually identified in the poetry as Cynthia, and as such the focus of this dissertation is on the poems in which the lover-poet and Cynthia interact. Propertius explores tensions inherent in the gendered roles and relationships of elegy through his exposure of the limits of elegiac fides and his interaction with non-elegiac fides as part of the language of Roman social relations. These tensions are further exposed through his use of women’s speech, which depicts women as critical of both the elegiac scenario and of mainstream Roman values. Propertius uses the common elegiac trope seruitium amoris to consider issues of freedom, speech, and patronage both within and without the elegiac world and differs from the other Latin love poets in his presentation of his puella as possessing a measure of mastery. He also uses the equally common trope militia amoris to portray the elegiac world as morally superior to that of traditional militia, including epic poetry and contemporary conquest and empire-building. The existence of similar themes and critiques in the non-Cynthia poems, especially those that ostensibly praise Augustus, suggests the importance of further investigation into the connection between Propertius’ construction of masculinity and the social, cultural, and political change of the Augustan era.

The gendered characterization of the Propertian lover-poet does not fit comfortably into either the role of a traditionally masculine elite male Roman or that of an effeminate elegiac lover. This dissertation argues for a lover-poet whose gender role draws on and reacts to elements from both of these pre-existing roles with the end result of a character that disidentifies with Roman gender roles and exists outside of the binary oppositions that they provide. The lover-poet’s characterization is intimately bound to that of his elegiac puella, usually identified in the poetry as Cynthia, and as such the focus of this dissertation is on the poems in which the lover-poet and Cynthia interact. Propertius explores tensions inherent in the gendered roles and relationships of elegy through his exposure of the limits of elegiac fides and his interaction with non-elegiac fides as part of the language of Roman social relations. These tensions are further exposed through his use of women’s speech, which depicts women as critical of both the elegiac scenario and of mainstream Roman values. Propertius uses the common elegiac trope seruitium amoris to consider issues of freedom, speech, and patronage both within and without the elegiac world and differs from the other Latin love poets in his presentation of his puella as possessing a measure of mastery. He also uses the equally common trope militia amoris to portray the elegiac world as morally superior to that of traditional militia, including epic poetry and contemporary conquest and empire-building. The existence of similar themes and critiques in the non-Cynthia poems, especially those that ostensibly praise Augustus, suggests the importance of further investigation into the connection between Propertius’ construction of masculinity and the social, cultural, and political change of the Augustan era.

Zugl.: Gießen, Univ., Diss., 2004

Inaug.-Diss.--Munich, 1962.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1900.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1984. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves [67]-68.

Thesis--Bonn. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-170).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 242-253).

The thesis, the topic of which is restricted to the polemical didactic poems, Apotheosis, Hamartigenia and Contra Symmachum 1-2, aims to establish the attitudes of Prudentius to the literary tradition and argues for his relationship with the Latin classical poets. Its main argument is that the hexameter poems as a group can be profitably studied from a stylistic angle, since they show how Prudentius combined, and used with innovation, the styles of several poets, namely Lucretius, Virgil and Juvenal, and in many cases engaged with the literary tradition as a whole. Chapter I surveys, as reflected in the poems, Prudentius' awareness of the political, religious and literary milieu in the Christian Empire of the West in his day. Chapter II examines how Prudentius employed the style of argument and imagery in the D.R.N. to present Christian doctrines on the body and the soul, and to reject pagan superstition. Chapter III shows how with much imagination and respect Prudentius adapted Virgil's phraseology and techniques to give new Christian interpretations of some mythical and historical themes in the Aen., such as the 'Golden Age' and the battle of Actium, and of topics on agriculture from the Georg. Chapter IV argues that, like other fourth century Christian writers, the poet entered into the spirit of Satire and alluded to Juvenal's themes and language in his treatment of the topics of sin and sexuality. Finally, in Chapter V Prudentius' adaptations of the biblical accounts in Gen. 19 and of Ps. 136 are used to demonstrate how allegory, which is a main feature of his poetry, was combined successfully with different classical techniques. In conclusion, the hexameter poems demonstrate that Prudentius did not reject classical poetry on the basis of its content, but used both its themes and poetic techniques in order to merge the ancient with the Christian literary tradition.