A
Roman poet, born between 54-48
BCE, probably in
Assisi, although several other
Umbrian cities have claimed the honour.
He was born to a wealthy and respectable family, although not a noble one. His father died when Propertius was just a child, and shortly thereafter a large part of the family land was confiscated by the Triumvirate to be distributed among veterans of the armies of Marcus Antonius and Octavianus. It seems that Propertius started writing at a very young age.
Beyond the above very little is known about his life eccept for his love story to Cynthia, a woman of easy virtue, whose real name was Hostia. At first he idealized her, but failing to be true to him, he terminated his relationships with her 5-6 years after they started. Whether or not their separation was final is not clear. In two later poems (which were probably written in retrospect) he describes a quarrel with her, and her death.
Pesanus Paulus (a poet friend of Plinius) claimed to be a descendant of Propertius, from which some conclude that Propertius was married.
Like Horatius and Vergilius, Propertius also found a patron in Maecenas. If the poet mentioned by Horatius as the one who claimes to be the second Kallimachos is indeed Propertius, than the two poets knew and did not like each other. He was, however, friends with Ovidius, who mentions him posthumously in the Tristia.
The year of his death is unknown but it seems that he died between 16-2 BCE.
based on the Oxford Classical Dictionary