Activity

Sulpicia and the Roman Elegy

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Sulpicia (the elegiac)

Theme: Sulpicia and the Roman Elegy

Competencies

Competence in Linguistic Communication

Multilingual Competence

Personal, social and learning to learn competence

Competence in cultural awareness and expressions

Subjects and year by Educational System

Spain > Latin > 4th ESO > The present of the Latin civilization

Enunciation

<img title="Women's Legacy logo" src="//inclusion.womenslegacyproject.eu/images/LogoWL.svg" /><hr />Read and comment on the first fragment of the elegy of the Roman poet Sulpicia, who lived in the 1st century BC.
Epistula I
Tandem venit amor, qualem texisse pudori quam nudasse alicui sit mihi fama magis. Exorata meis illum Cytherea Camenis attulit in nostrum deposuitque sinum. Exsolvit promissa Venus: mea gaudia narret, dicetur si quis non habuisse sua. Non ego signatis quicquam mandare tabellis, ne legat id nemo quam meus ante, velim. Sed peccasse iuvat, vultus componere famae taedet: cum digno digna fuisse ferar.
&ldquo;Al fin me lleg&oacute; el amor, y es tal que ocultarlo por pudor, antes que desnudarlo a alguien, peor reputaci&oacute;n me diera. Citerea, vencida por los ruegos de mis Camenas, me lo trajo y lo coloc&oacute; en mi regazo. Cumpli&oacute; sus promesas Venus: que cuente mis alegr&iacute;as quien diga que no las tuvo propias. Yo no querr&iacute;a confiar nada a tablillas selladas, para que nadie antes que mi amor lo lea,&nbsp; pero me encanta obrar contra la norma, fingir por el qu&eacute; dir&aacute;n me enoja: fuimos la una digna del otro, que digan eso&rdquo;.
L&oacute;pez, Aurora (1994). No solo hilaron lana. Escritoras romanas en prosa y verso, p. 83. Madrid: Ediciones Cl&aacute;sicas.
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1- Read the fragment and its translation.
2- What type of verse was characteristic of the elegy? What verses was it made up of?
3- What is the motive of her poem? What could she be ashamed of? Would this be the correct position for a young Roman woman? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
4- Who does she hold responsible for her situation?
5- What words would reflect her craft as a writer?
6- In what other verse does she express that she does not care about rumours?
7- If love for Roman women was limited to family and marriage, explain why was Sulpicia transgressive.
8- Did you like her verses? Why don't her figure and work appear in manuals and textbooks?&nbsp;
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Observations and context

Sappho's poetry was a stimulus for a long list of women who, until the 4th century AD, captured their voices in various styles, both in Greek and Latin. From Roman times, mentioning only the poets of whom minimum testimony remains, we find Sulpicia "the elegiac poetess", Melinno, Herennia Procula, Claudia Trophime, Sulpicia "the satirist", Julia Balbilla, Caecilia Trebulla, Damo, Terentia, Theosebia and Aconia Fabia Paulina.

Sulpicia and the Roman Elegy

Enunciation

Observations and context

Description

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