Propertius -- Elegies, Book 3, Elegy 4, l. 20ff (3.4.10)

Dave — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:30:56 +0000

Let’s give the historians something to write about!

[Ite et Romanae consulite historiae!]

Propertius (50–16 BC) Roman elegiac poet [Sextus Propertius]
Elegies, Book 3, Elegy 4, l. 20ff (3.4.10)

This is a loose translation of Propertius, source unknown. It frequently shows up in bulk collections of quotations and motivational aphorisms (e.g., 1, 2).

Unlike his usual romantic poetry, this elegy is discussing a planned expedition by Augustus against the Parthians, exhorting the Emperor to expand Rome's borders to the Indian Ocean and avenge the defeat of Crassus' forces at Carrhae in 53 BC. The planned expedition never occurred, but Augustus did negotiate in 20 BC the return of the battle standards Crassus had lost and any surviving POWs, which the Emperor declared as a great symbolic victory.

Because of the corruption of the manuscripts of Propertius and speculating from internal references, some 19th Century scholars (e.g., Lachmann) argued for a different division of the elegies into books, thus the translations noted which instead label this as Book 4, Elegy 4.

(Source (Latin)). Other translations:

Provide for the historical glory of Rome.
[tr. Gantillon (1854), 4.4]

Be one more bright page in Roman history.
[tr. Moore (1870), 4.4]

Gather
for Rome fresh garlands of immortal bay.
[tr. Cranstoun (1875), 4.4]

Away, and be doing to add a chapter to the chronicle of Rome!
[tr. Phillimore (1906)]

Go forth and make fair the pages of Rome's story!
[tr. Butler (Loeb) (1912)]

Add to Rome's history its greatest page.
[tr. Carrier (1963)]

Go, and serve well
Our City's history.
[tr. Musker (1972)]

Away, and serve Rome's history well!
[tr. Goold (Loeb) (1990)]

Go and stand up for Roman history!
[tr. Lee (1992)]

Go and take care of Roman history!
[tr. Kline (2001)]

Serve our Roman annals well.
[tr. Holcombe (2009)]

WIST Quotations

Propertius -- Elegies, Book 3, Elegy 4, l. 20ff (3.4.10)