Two Unidentified Komoi of Propertius I 3 and II 29

Abstract

In section 1 an attempt is made to show that in the komos admission of the lover, although less frequent than exclusion, is not confined to the dramatic tradition, as F. O. Copley thought, but occurs in other types of poetry. Section II identifies Propertius I 3 as a komos in which Propertius is admitted to Cynthia’s house, and analyses it in terms of the topoi of the genre. Section III argues in favour of the unity of Propertius II 29, which is also identified as a komos. This argument is carried further in Section IV which discusses Propertius II 29 as a variation on the theme of Propertius I 3 and treats the textual problem at Propertius II 29, 41 in the light of the genre. Section V deals with some of the literary conclusions which can be drawn from the preceding examination of the two elegies. Section VI treats the exempla of lines rff.