od social position
(iii. 2, 22). From the fact that he belonged to the circle of
Messalla, his poems came to be added to those of Tibullus, whom he
constantly imitates. There are also many reminiscences of Horace,
Ovid, and Propertius. The six Elegies are addressed to Neaera, who was
probably the poet's cousin and was married or betrothed to him (iii.
1, 23; 2, 12). Lygdamus was born in the same year as Ovid, B.C. 43;
iii. 5, 17,

'Natalem primo nostrum videre parentes,
cum cecidit fato consul uterque pari.'

The remarkable coincidence between iii. 5, 15-20, and Ovid, _A.A._ ii.
669-70, _Tr._ iv. 10, 6, _Amor._ ii. 14, 23-4, is best explained by
Hiller (_Hermes_, xviii. 360-1), who suggests that Lygdamus may have
composed the poem in his earlier years merely to amuse Neaera, without
publishing it, and that after Ovid's works had appeared he may, to
oblige a friend or patron (_e.g._ Messalinus), have published his
collection of elegies, adding in the process of revision the lines
copied from Ovid.

The remaining poems belong to Book iii. in the MSS., but in most
editions are printed as a separate Book iv. iv. 1, in hexameters, is
the _Panegyricus Messallae_, written in honour of Messalla's
consulship, B.C. 31. Its rhetorical exaggeration and want of taste
forbid its being attributed to Tibullus, written, as it was, so
shortly before he reached the summit of his powers. Its date puts
Lygdamus out of question: doubtless it is by some young member of
Messalla's circle.

The rest of the Book has for its theme the love of Sulpicia, the
daughter of Servius Sulpicius and Valeria, the sister of Messalla, for
a young Greek named Cerinthus. _El._ 2-6 are apparently by Tibullus
himself, who may have amused himself by turning into verse the letters
of the young lovers. _El._ 7 is of disputed authorship; but it
resembles the work of Sulpicia rather than that of Tibullus. _El._
8-12 are by Sulpicia to Cerinthus. _El._ 13 purports to be by
Tibullus. _El._ 14 is an epigram, of doubtful authorship.

Two _Priapea_ are found in MSS. of Tibullus, but probably neither of
them is by him.

PROPERTIUS.

(1) LIFE.

The name by which the poet designates himself is Propertius simply;
the praenomen Sextus rests on the authority of Donatus. The additions
in some MSS., 'Aurelius' and 'Nauta,' are clearly erroneous.

He was certainly a native of the district of Umbria, and probably of
the town of Asisium (the modern Assisi).