著者

高橋 宏幸

出版者

京都大学

雑誌

西洋古典論集 (ISSN:02897113)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.4, pp.29-58, 1988-04-30

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この論文は国立情報学研究所の学術雑誌公開支援事業により電子化されました。This paper attempts to trace a final voice of the poet in 4.7 and 4.8 by re-examining the parallels between Cynthia-domina and the Homeric heroes, esp. hero as aristocrat in 4.7. In 4.7, the apparition of Cynthia's ghost before Propertius seems to correspond to Patroclus' appearance before Achilles ; however, whereas Patroclus had urgently to ask Achilles for burial, to enable him to cross the river Styx, Cynthia, now in Elysium, has no such need. Why, then, does she come? She is indignant over Propertius' forgetfulness and coldheartedness at her burial (23-34), her slaves' treachery (35-38), and her rival's assumption of her former status (39-48) ; all have offended her. She must restore her dignity : thus she comes. She swears that her faith was kept(49-58), refers to the Elysian heroines as her comrades (55-70), and commands Propertius to take care of her nurse and favorite maid(73-6), to burn the verses in her name (77f.) , to inscribe the poem she deserves (81-6) etc. The wrath caused by offence to one's dignity recalls the theme of the Iliad. In this respect, Cynthia can be likened to Achilles, and the two heroic qualities embodied in Cynthia reinforce this interpretation. One of these qualities is thymos. Upon Propertius she casts her voice with spirantis animos (11), which expresses ably in Latin the Greek, the word not being found in the Patroclus-scene of Il. 23. Her voice itself eloquently demonstrates the heat of her anger. Another is time, worth based on riches. Her jewel (9), funeral offerings (31ff.), golden dress (40), monument (43) , image of gold (47), and household of many servants and slaves (35ff., 43f., 73f.) were included in her time. Their loss means loss of face for her so she must avenge herself. The parallel may be more conspicuous between Cynthia and Odysseus in 4.8. Here also is her indignation, not only in speech, but in action, with thundering eyes and the woman's full power of rage (55). Spoils, victory and rule cause her exultant rejoicing (64f., 82), since her time is restored at her homecoming. These parallels help to paint a vivid portrait of Cynthia as a domina who also has a hot temper and absolute rule over her men ; thus an offence to her dignity can make her furious. And we should take into account the following features of Cynthia-domina ; her eyes as a symbol of the power by which she was the first to capture Propertius (1. 1. 1) : her unadorned hair representing the charms of natural beauty, e. g. 2. 1. 1 : Propertius' frequent references to her fama, as Boucher points out. What survives of Cynthia in 4.7 are only her eyes and hair, together with her voice. In 4.8, she thunders with her eyes ; beautifully with her hair. Fama is, however, not always as-sociated with riches as is time. Traditionally, love-elegists are poor, hate the rich and money as the source of corruption. We notice vulgar images attributed to Cynthia's rival in 4.7 and to the luxurious banquet in 4.8. In 4.7, particularly, all the riches Cynthia had have been damaged or taken, and, although she has come to reclaim them, she demands the return of none, but only Propertius' poems. The Homeric hero would rather be a slave in life than a king of the dead (cf. Od. 11.488ff.), while Cynthia, after death, continues to rule over Propertius, a slave of love ; death is not the end of all (1). The poet seems to say that loveelegiac values survive while heroic-aristocratic values will not long stand, thouth he is now giving up his love poetry. Against this interpretation, some may argue that the epitaph Cynthia commands be erected at Tibur is of sufficient magnificence to merit a heroine. But her instruction contrasts strangely to Propertius' in 3.6, one of the other two poems on Tibur. The passage says that the lovers' tombs along the busy highway are dishonored, recalling, as Lyne remarks, Callimachean literary polemic in Aet. 1.25ff. (cf.Epigr. 28Pf. 1f.). Here, 4. 7.81ff. sounds a wordplay between the heroic-common sense and the elegiac. Pomifer (81) surely refers to fruitfullness, but poma-ferens can imply a lover bringing a gift of wooing, of which poma was symbolic in antiquity. Aurea (85) may recall the Homeric epithet chrysee, but can mean <greedy of money>, as in Ov. A. A. 2.277f. These two words, in the same position in similar lines both in content (Anio or Cynthia lies in the earth) and versification (a polysyllable in the first half and three diaereses in the second), appear to be in immediate response : a man who gives and a woman who takes. And in ll.81-2 there is a grammatical possibility to take ebur as an acc, of respect to pomifer with Anio as the subject of pallet. Then, the combination pomifer-ebur, a man with such a precious gift as ivory, seems to suggest dives amator, who never pales since he knows no real love, of which color is paleness as in Ov. A. A. 1 729. In addition relating to this imagery of the rich, we have a cause-story of the Heraclean Temple ; a merchant beat away the pirates (without getting pale for fear) to return safe successfully, thanks to Heracles, the divinity of war and trade (Macrob. 3. 6. 11).