Thesis--Zürich. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 5-6).

The purpose of this thesis is to attempt to demonstrate the function of the Hylas myth in Propertius 1.20. The first chapter consists of a text and translation of the poem. Chapter 2 introduces the question of the role of mythological exempla in Propertius' poetry. It is found that while scholars recognize the relevance and importance of mythological material in other elegies they deny that the Hylas tale bears more than a superficial relevance to its context. Chapter 3 considers the poetry of the Monobiblos, to which 1.20 belongs. Three elegies are analysed so as to illustrate Propertius' purpose and methods in adducing mythological material in his poems. It is concluded from these analyses that mythological exempla not only illustrate the poet's portrayal of contemporary figures and situations but also contribute new elements that suggest or develop aspects of his theme not otherwise made explicit. Four general means by which Propertius adapts traditional mythology for his own purposes are noted. A study of 1.20, to which Chapter 4 is devoted, begins with a brief discussion of the Hylas myth as it was known in Propertius' day. Texts of Apollonius Rhodius' and Theocritus' versions of the tale, the two most important extant literary accounts, and several illustrations of the myth in art are provided. The main component of the chapter, however, is an analysis of 1.20 that attempts to reveal the skilful manner in which Propertius narrates the tale of Hylas, adapting traditional material with a purpose and method similar to that observed in his other elegies, and presenting it as a relevant and integral part of his portrayal of the contemporary figures and situation with which the poem is concerned. There follow an appendix and a bibliography. / Arts, Faculty of / Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of / Graduate

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Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Frankfurt a.M., 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 256-279).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Frankfurt a.M., 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 256-279).

Liberalitas forms one of the central frameworks for defining social bonds within Roman society, and was part of how Roman poets constructed the world. This is most explicitly evident in the poets’ references to “patrons” and benefactors, but it extends much further. The poets worked within a broad framework of social conventions and expectations which must be understood in order to see how their poetry uses and responds to the concepts associated with liberalitas. Cicero’s de officiis and Seneca’s de beneficiis are therefore useful, as they offer idealised, prescriptive views of liberalitas in Roman society. Many scholars have investigated the relationships between poets and their patrons, including Peter White, Barbara Gold, James Zetzel, and Phebe Lowell Bowditch. I argue that any true understanding of the role of liberalitas in Roman poetry must also comprehend its importance in other areas. This dissertation focuses on the poetry of Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Virgil in the Eclogues. The introduction addresses traditional liberalitas as defined by Cicero and Seneca in their works on benefits and duties. Chapter one illustrates how Catullus, Horace, and Tibullus display ideals similar to those of Cicero and Seneca and use the conventions of liberalitas for praising and blaming members of their social groups. Chapter two addresses the problems of status raised by liberalitas and investigates the strategies used by Catullus, Horace, Propertius, and Tibullus to mitigate these problems and further their social, literary, and aesthetic aims. Chapter three demonstrates how the love poets used and redefined the terminology and ideology of liberalitas to construct an obligation on the part of their beloveds to reciprocate the gifts given by the poets but reject the gifts given by rival lovers. Finally, Chapter four examines the role of liberalitas in formulating and expressing a poetic program in Virgil’s Eclogues, which points to its function in mediating the connection between ‘real-life’ political and social concerns and the literary preoccupations of Roman poets. The various applications of this concept demonstrated in these four chapters present the study of liberalitas as a useful and productive tool in the investigation of the poetry of this period.

Liberalitas forms one of the central frameworks for defining social bonds within Roman society, and was part of how Roman poets constructed the world. This is most explicitly evident in the poets’ references to “patrons” and benefactors, but it extends much further. The poets worked within a broad framework of social conventions and expectations which must be understood in order to see how their poetry uses and responds to the concepts associated with liberalitas. Cicero’s de officiis and Seneca’s de beneficiis are therefore useful, as they offer idealised, prescriptive views of liberalitas in Roman society. Many scholars have investigated the relationships between poets and their patrons, including Peter White, Barbara Gold, James Zetzel, and Phebe Lowell Bowditch. I argue that any true understanding of the role of liberalitas in Roman poetry must also comprehend its importance in other areas. This dissertation focuses on the poetry of Catullus, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Virgil in the Eclogues. The introduction addresses traditional liberalitas as defined by Cicero and Seneca in their works on benefits and duties. Chapter one illustrates how Catullus, Horace, and Tibullus display ideals similar to those of Cicero and Seneca and use the conventions of liberalitas for praising and blaming members of their social groups. Chapter two addresses the problems of status raised by liberalitas and investigates the strategies used by Catullus, Horace, Propertius, and Tibullus to mitigate these problems and further their social, literary, and aesthetic aims. Chapter three demonstrates how the love poets used and redefined the terminology and ideology of liberalitas to construct an obligation on the part of their beloveds to reciprocate the gifts given by the poets but reject the gifts given by rival lovers. Finally, Chapter four examines the role of liberalitas in formulating and expressing a poetic program in Virgil’s Eclogues, which points to its function in mediating the connection between ‘real-life’ political and social concerns and the literary preoccupations of Roman poets. The various applications of this concept demonstrated in these four chapters present the study of liberalitas as a useful and productive tool in the investigation of the poetry of this period.

Programm--K. Studienanstalt Speier. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Propertius, affected at an early age by Augustus' quest for power and the submission of the conquered, had attitudes critical of Augustus, but he felt pressure to veil his true opinions by flattering the Emperor in his poetry for the sake of self-preservation. Many of his poems praise the military accomplishments of Augustus, but they also contain signals that Propertius is not expressing his true attitudes on the surface. Propertius gives descriptions of military conquest a distasteful flavor, and he rejects outright the Augustan program of pax through the total subjugation of Rome’s enemies, with whom he identifies as a victim of imperial conquest. / text