contactum nullis ante cupidinibus. Cynthia was the first to capture with her eyes my pitiable self: Till then I was free from desireÊs contagion. (1.1.1-2)
Although in Roman poetry a lover is normally described as  miser Ê, a Âtormented beingÊ 7 , here Propertius is asking for the readerÊs sympathy to understand his struggles and torments. Cynthia has ÂcapturedÊ ( cepit ) Propertius, just like a soldier in a war of love, a metaphor which is commonly used throughout Latin love elegy 8 . Akin to Werther, he is submissive to her, with regard to his inability to control his feelings. Traditionally, the verb  capere Ê would imply a male subject (as the verb has connotations of fighting and even hunting), yet from the first line it is clear that Propertius is being dominated and is the object, and is thus not in control of his passions for Cynthia 9 . Such relentless submission to lust and desire of being dominated can be seen later in WertherÊs aforementioned letter:
Höre den, ich will michzwingen, ins Detail zugehen. Lend me an ear, and I shall force myself to give you the details.
Thus, both Werther and Propertius identify themselves as wretched beings, who have been bewitched by the eyes of their beloved, and who are both forced and dominated by their desires.
In ÂThe Sorrows of Young WertherÊ, and important plot development is WertherÊs self-denial as to what extent his relationship with Lotte can become, and to what extent he wants his relationship with Lotte to become. Although he openly admits to loving to her, he knows that she has a fiancé, Albert, which means that he can do little in terms of romantic approaches before being ostracized by society 10 . Werther first writes:
Ichkenne den Mensch nicht von demichet was in Lottens Herzenfürchtete. I know of no man who represents a threat to me in LotteÊs heart.
Yet then he proceeds to write the following in the next letter, dated Â16 th JulyÊ, to Wilhelm:
Nein, mein Herzist so verdebtnicht! No my heart is not so corrupt!
It is quite clear that Werther is beginning to become torn between his morals and his desires, yet he refuses to allow himself to attempt and develop friendship into love because of his love towards Lotte. He refuses to follow his heart for fear of social downfall for both himself and Lotte, but that ironically leads to a mental downfall. Propertius himself wrote of a possible downfall in 1.5. There, he tells a younger man of his own experiences with Cynthia, and warns him of potential pitfalls. 11 He claims that:
Quod si forte tuis non est contraria uotis at tibi curarum milia quanta dabit! But if by chance she doesnÊt reject your entreaties How many thousand troubles she will grant!
7 See Richardson (1977) ad Prop. 1.1.1-4. 8 The opening line of OvidÊs Amores 1.9 is often used in reference to the metaphor – Â militatomnisamans, et habetsuacastraCupido Ê (every lover serves as a soldier, and Cupid has his own camp too). 9 See Kennedy (1993) ad Prop 1.1.1-2. 10 A woman promised to a man in the late 18 th Century would be expected to marry him, and this rationale would have been further emphasised by the close-knit society of the village in which the novella is set. 11 L. Richardson, Jr (1977) ad Prop. 1.5.
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