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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
When Propertius tells Cynthia in 2. 29A that, on his drunken way to another woman (line 14) the previous night, he was seized and hauled back to Cynthia by a band of Cupids, it is fairly clear that the poet is giving dramatic embodiment to the erotic commonplace that the lover fired by wine is unable to stay away from his mistress but is dragged back to her perforce by love.
The nature of the drama in which the topos is embodied is, however, not at all clear. Most commentators have seen it as nothing more than a fantasy or fairy-tale having no connection whatsoever with real life. Two, while recognizing that elements of fantasy are present, nevertheless have felt that the action of the drama is derived from real life with the Cupids playing a real-life role.
I believe that those who have seen 2. 29A as merely fantasy are incorrect. This is not to say that pure fantasy does not occur in Propertius’ work. But when it does it takes place in a dream or fantasy landscape. In 2. 29A the scene is the streets of Rome and this realistic setting suggests that, as in another realistic setting (3. 1. 9–12) Propertius although giving rein to his fantasy links it with reality by taking on himself the role of triumphator, so here it is more likely that the characters in a drama with a real setting will have real-life roles to play.
page 455 note 2 Cf., e.g., A.P. 5. 93 (Rufinus); A.P. 12. 118 (Callimachus).
page 455 note 3 Rothstein and G. Luck (see below).
page 455 note 4 e.g. 3. 3; 2. 26A.
page 455 note 5 For such representations cf. Helbig, W., Untersuchungen über die Campanische Wandmalerei, Leipzig, 1873, pp. 76, 223, 237f.Google Scholar
page 455 note 6 Gnomon, 39 (1967), pp. 700f. and The Latin Love Elegy, 2nd ed. (1969), pp. 15 f.Google Scholar Cf. Camps ad loc.
page 456 note 1 Cichorius, C., Untersuchungen zu Lucilius, pp. 158 f.Google Scholar conjectures that the speaker is an older male adviser but does not challenge Marx's opinion that the person compared to a fugitiuus is some kind of amator.
page 457 note 1 See above and Marx ad loc.
page 457 note 2 Cf. also Paneg. Lat. 11 (xii). 43. 3.Google Scholar
page 457 note 3 Cf. Dig. 11. 1. 8 and the єίκόνєς (n. 12).
page 457 note 4 For these procedures and others connected with fugitiui cf. Xen, . Mem. 2. 10;Google Scholar Moschus 1; refs. in Pringsheim, F., The Greek Law of Sale, Weimar 1950, p. 527Google Scholar, and Taubenschlag, R., The Law of Graeco-Roman Egypt in the Light of the Papyri, 2nd ed. (Warsaw, 1955), pp. 83–5Google Scholar; Bruns, Fontes, 1. 362 f.
page 458 note 1 Cf. examples cited above.
page 459 note 1 Cf. Gaius, Instit. 3. 93.
page 459 note 2 Cf. Buckland, , Text-Book of Roman Law, 3rd ed. (1963), p. 434.Google Scholar
page 459 note 3 e.g. Dig. xlviii. 15. 2. 1, 2.
page 459 note 4 Cf. Crook, J., Law and Life at Rome, pp. 203 ff., 239 ff.Google Scholar
page 459 note 5 G. Luck's suggestion that the Cupids are vigiles might seem to be capable of revival with the addition of the hypothesis that Propertius is a fugitiuus, and certain legal texts might appear to provide supporting evidence, i.e. Rend. Harr. Pap. 62; Dig. i. 15. 4 and the texts discussed by Buckland, , The Roman Law of Slavery, p. 268.Google Scholar But the objection that the private relationship between Cynthia and the Cupids is incompatible with the latter's being public officials still remains. Moreover, the legal texts in which particular (and late) instructions are given to vigiles to search for fugitiui suggest that it was not normally their duty to do so.