The Complete Poems of Tibullus and Sulpicia

Tibullus, Albius (c.55 BC–19 BC), translated by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

This edition presents new translations of the poems of Albius Tibullus, and the poems of, and about, Sulpicia from the Messalla collection.

Albius Tibullus (c. 55–19 BC) was a Roman elegiac poet. His work is characterised by a personal and emotional reflection on love and the pastoral life. His surviving corpus is small, consisting mainly of two books of elegies. Tibullus’s chief friend and patron was Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, himself an orator and poet as well as a statesman and a commander. Messalla, like Gaius Maecenas, was at the centre of a literary circle in Rome. Tibullus died prematurely, probably in 19 BC, around the time of the death of Virgil. His passing had a profound impact on Roman society, as is clear from the elegy in which Ovid enshrined his memory.

Sulpicia, a lesser-known contemporary of Tibullus, is generally accepted to be the author of six epigrams, appearing in the corpus attributed to Tibullus - the Corpus Tibullianum. As such, she is the only female poet from ancient Rome whose work is extant. Sulpicia is thought to have hailed from a prosperous household with imperial ties.

The Messalla collection comprises a variety of poems originating from the household or archives associated with Messalla. The works were crafted by several authors, none of whom are believed to be Tibullus.

Author Details

Albius Tibullus, a Latin poet who lived around 55BC to 19BC, was noted for his elegiac poetry. While the first and second books of his poetry are well-preserved, the authenticity of several other texts attributed to him remains uncertain.

The details of Tibullus’ early life remain largely obscure. His forename and birthplace are unknown, and even his family name is subject to doubt. He likely belonged to the Roman equestrian class and inherited significant wealth. Preferring a pastoral life, Tibullus divided his time between Rome and his rural estate. However, like his contemporaries Virgil and Propertius, Tibullus is believed to have lost much of his property during the political upheavals of 41BC, which saw confiscations of land by both Mark Antony and Octavian.

Tibullus was closely associated with Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, a prominent statesman, orator, and poet who led a literary circle in Rome, independent of the court of Augustus. Tibullus accompanied Messalla on a military assignment in Aquitania around 30 BC. He should also have joined his patron on a mission to the East in 28 BC, but illness forced him to stay behind in Corcyra.

Tibullus died prematurely around 19BC. His passing was deeply felt in the Roman literary community, as evidenced by tributes from contemporaries such as Domitius Marsus and Ovid. Horace, in two short poems, is believed to have addressed Tibullus, offering him advice on life and coping with emotional challenges. These interactions further underline Tibullus’s significant role in the cultural milieu of his era.

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Kline, A. S.

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