Propertius: Elegies: Book 1

Description

Propertius, though his works are small in volume, is one of the foremost poets of the Augustan age, and his writing has a certain appeal to modern tastes (witness the admiration of Ezra Pound). Book I is especially suitable for the reader wanting a representative selection of Propertius' poetry. It stands on its own, having appeared in the first place as a separate collection; it reflects a distinct phase of the poet's activity (and of his emotional development); and it is the book which made his reputation. This edition is designed for the pocket of the university student, but it should find a wider audience among classicists of all ages. The introduction provides the necessary historical and critical background and relates Book I to the rest of the elegies; the notes are helpful and to the point; and the text has a reasonable minimum of apparatus. There are no modern editions of this size and scope.

'Mr Camps's book will be useful in both schools and universities. He gives us a readable text, sensibly eclectic, a straightforward commentary, an introduction with a brief bibliography; the whole thing is admirably adapted to help the beginner in Propertius where he needs help and not to bother him with unnecessary minutiae ... I hope the book will be as widely used as it deserves to be.' Journal of Roman Studies