Abstract

Propertius gives prominence to Cynthia’s role as a musician in a number of poems. Yet, how that role contributes to Propertius’ metapoetry, which is concerned with his self-construction as a lover and how his elegy works, has not been sufficiently evaluated. In this thesis, I examine how Propertius exploits and relies on Cynthia’s role as a musician to advance his metapoetry in three elegies: 1.2, 2.3, and 2.34. In Elegy 1.2, Propertius introduces Cynthia as a musician and crowns the poem’s metapoetic message about himself as a self-constructed lover and poet. In Elegy 2.3, Propertius manipulates the divine quality directly associated with Cynthia’s musicianship to transform Cynthia into a symbol of beauty. By elevating his elegiac symbol, Propertius elevates his elegy and pits it against other poetic traditions, especially epic. In Elegy 2.34, Propertius takes advantage of Cynthia’s musicianship to solidify her link with Apollo, who is emphatically portrayed as a musician, and deepens elegy’s connection to the musical god.

Committee Chair

Rebecca Sears, Thesis Examination Committee

Committee Members

Cathy Keane, Timothy Moore

Degree

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Author's Department

Classics

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Thesis DLA

Date of Award

Summer 8-19-2021

Language

English (en)

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Available for download on Sunday, December 04, 2061

Included in

Classics Commons

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