Propertius: Elegies: Book 1 - Tapa dura

'Mr Camps's book will be useful in both schools and universities. He gives us a readable text, sensibly eclectic, a straightforward commentary, an introduction with a brief bibliography; the whole thing is admirably adapted to help the beginner in Propertius where he needs help and not to bother him with unnecessary minutiae ... I hope the book will be as widely used as it deserves to be.' Journal of Roman Studies

Propertius, though his works are small in volume, is one of the foremost poets of the Augustan age, and his writing has a certain appeal to modern tastes (witness the admiration of Ezra Pound). Book I is especially suitable for the reader wanting a representative selection of Propertius' poetry. It stands on its own, having appeared in the first place as a separate collection; it reflects a distinct phase of the poet's activity (and of his emotional development); and it is the book which made his reputation. This edition is designed for the pocket of the university student, but it should find a wider audience among classicists of all ages. The introduction provides the necessary historical and critical background and relates Book I to the rest of the elegies; the notes are helpful and to the point; and the text has a reasonable minimum of apparatus. There are no modern editions of this size and scope.