Elegies

Tibullus (?55-18 BC) was one of a group of poets known as the Latin elegists, whose number included Ovid and Propertius. Living in the age of Augustus, his poems reflect Augustan ideals, but they are above all notable for their emphasis on the personal, and for their subject-matter, love. Tibullus elegies are addressed to two different mistresses, Delia and Nemesis, and a boy, Marathus. His pious and idealistic love for Delia is replaced by a more tortured affair with the cruel Nemesis, and the poets elegies to Marathus give a broader perspective to his treatment of the subject. Anguish and betrayal characterize Tibullus depiction of loves changing fortunes, in poetry that is passionate, vivid, and sometimes haunting.

In this parallel text edition, A. M. Justers eloquent translations are accompanied by an introduction and notes from Robert Maltby which discuss Tibullus work in its literary and historical context. Together they demonstrate the achievements of this fine Roman poet.