Now what’s the point, my love, in sallying forth with an elaborate fair-do, parading in rippling Coan silk? Why drench your hair in Orontean myrrh, and promote yourself with exotic favours, and ruin natural grace with purchased shows, and not allow your limbs to glisten with their own goodness? No beauty parlour for you, believe me: naked Love loves no artificial beauty. (1-10)
- ‘Coan silk?’ - Coan refers to Greek island of Cos known for silk trading. Coan silk particularly fine & known for being diaphanous (see through) - vibrant & luminous
- ‘Orontean myrrh’ - exotic ornamentation from foreign places
‘..?… Why’ - rhetorical questions throughout, why do these thing when your already so beautiful? (But also jealousy - controlling) - ‘purchased show’ - purchased beauty attainable by all. Cynthia doesn’t stand out in this way - she has no need of it. She has what can’t be bought - natural beauty
- ‘naked Love’ - personified Love usually naked. All natural, no artifice.
- ‘naked love loves no artificial beauty.’ - not actually that beautiful (artificial)
Observe what tints the lovely earth puts forth: the better ivies come of themselves, the lovelier arbutus grows in lonely grottoes, pure water flows in unimproved courses, beaches gemmed with native pebbles seduce, birds sing the sweeter for lack of art. (11-16)
- ‘what tints the lovely earth puts forth’ - nature doesn’t need a whole amount of work, it’s already beautiful
- ‘the better ivies come of themselves’ - flowers grow better and are beautiful enough on there own
- ‘the lovelier arbutus grows in lonely grottoes,’ - the simple trees are beautiful and grow all on their own
- ‘pure water flows in unimproved courses’ - the water that flows in nature is beautiful enough
- ‘beaches gemmed with native pebbles seduce’ - natural made pebbles that lie in beaches are beautiful
- ‘birds sing the sweeter for lack of art’ - beautiful bird song, not artificial, real and natural
Emphasises point that beauty is natural, not contrived. Natural landscapes more beautiful than artificial ones - implied contrast between beautiful wilderness & Roman gardens?
Leucippus’ Phoebe did not set fore to Castor thus, nor her sister Hilairia to Pollux by show: nor even Evenus’ daughter, once the quarrel between Idas and ardent Phoebus, by her father’s coasts: nor did Hippodamia, drawn away in a foreign chariot, lure with a false brilliance her Phrygian husband.’ (17-23)
3 examples of woman being naturally beautiful:
- ‘ Phoebe..Castor.. Hilairia to Pollux’ - Leaucippus’ daughter, Phoebe, kidnapped by Castor & Pollux. Pollux was killed in a fight with her human lovers
- long time ago myth, simple times before beauty parlours, she was beautiful enough to enslave gods & make them fight.
- ‘thus.. by show’ - artificial means - make up, hairstyle etc..
- ‘Evenus’ daughter.. Idas.. ardent Phoebus’ - Marpessa & Idas. Idas does trials to win her, Apollo falls in love, Marpessa chooses Idas.
- Prop expects audience to know these stories. Stories have conflict tween established lover & competitor, just like Prop’s situation
- ‘Nor did Hippodamia, drawn away in a foreign chariot, lure with a false brilliance her Phrygian husband.’ - another chariot race. Death for the loser. Pelops cheats his way to victory.
The colours those of Apelles’ paintings, their beauty was not in debt to jewels. Their cause was not the collection of lovers at large: beauty great because chaste sufficed for them.’ (24-27)
- ‘Apelles’ - famous Greek painter
- ‘their beauty was not in debt to jewels.’ - not drawing in people because of jewels
- ‘Their cause was not the collection of overs at large’ - Propertius disapproving of women who court attention & popularity. Beautiful because they are unavailable? Slut shaming?
- ‘great because chaste’ - clear (clothing?) eg. of Roman male policing female behaviour. Still with us today? Media treatment of women very different to men in terms of sexual behaviour. Still very apparent in practice of veiling woman
- ‘chaste’ - modest clothing, virginal aspect? (Undertone)
I no longer fear that I’m cheaper to you than those: if she pleases one, a girl makes show enough — in especial when Phoebus lends his songs to you, and Calliope readily her Aonian lyre, and grace unparalleled informs the agreeable words all things whatever that Venus, and those that Minerva approves. This way you will always be most dear to me — if only you’d tire of this pitiful extravagance! (28-36)
- ‘those’ - the collection of lovers?
- ‘in especial when Phoebus lends his songs to you’ - doesn’t have money, but can put you in his poetry
- please don’t go around wearing expensive clothes, I can’t afford
- I don’t want you to gain (attention?) other suitors
- But I can give you poetry
- ‘and grace unparalleled informs the agreeable word’ - Cynthia is Propertius’ muse
- ‘Venus.. Minerva’ - referring to Cynthia’s beauty & wisdom (to be able to understand Props poetry) and Minerva’s chastity
- ‘this way you will always be most dear to me — if only you’d tire of this pitiful extravagance!’ - is Propertius just worries that her ‘artificial’ beauty will just bring in more competition, or is this just a conventional male attitude? Or is he trying to get her to be life a wife (but he has said he no longer wants suitable women..)
- ‘pitiful extravagance!’ - too expensive, I cannot afford all of this artificial beauty
Summary of poem via theme of lines:
1-8: Cynthia, you are so beautiful, why do you need to do your hair so elaborately, and wear silk dresses?
9-10: you do not need to cover your beauty with artificial beauty
11-16: nature doesn’t need artificiality: the earth, flowers, water, beaches and birds are naturally beautiful
17-27: consider the great beauties of mythology: they had no need of artificial beauty to attract men
28-34: you will be my inspiration - the gift of Apollo and the Muse, of Venus and Miverva
35-36: I will always love you, provided you ride yourself of the need for artificial beauty
