Getting Lucky With Ovid and Propertius: Board Games, Games of Chance, and Amatory Strategies in Roman Elegy

Abstract:Ovid invites comparison to Propertius just before advising women seeking lovers to learn how to play board games and games of chance in order to achieve their goal. Propertius, however, uses games to signpost romantic failures, not successes, though he subtly describes himself as a game to be played and won. This inquiry demonstrates the role games play in the amatory strategies of Propertius and deepens our understanding of the relationship Ovid has with his generic predecessor.