CYNTHIA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Pronounced: SIN-thee-ə (English) key
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθια (Kynthia) which means "woman from Kynthos". This was an epithet of the Greek
moon goddess Artemis, given because Kynthos was the mountain on
Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century.
Sextus Propertius
.
This romance is devoted entirely to a female figure called Cynthia. Cynthia prima suis
miserum me cepit ocellis - 'Cynthia was the first to capture with her eyes my pitiable self,' the very first line of poetry proclaims. It then goes on to say:
Till then I was free from
desire's contagion. Love
Then forced me to lower my gaze of steady
hauter
And trampled my head with his feet
Cynthia's exact social standing is not known. We are informed by a later writer the woman's real name was
Hostia; it is speculated she may be have been a descendant of a second century BCE poet named Hostius. Cynthia is literary name with connections to Apollo, the Greek god of poetry. Quite possibly she was a courtesan. In any event, she was refined and elegant, but not entirely faithful to the relationship Propertius presumed he had with her. She courts other men, and breaks off cordial relations with Propertius quite frequently.
Monobiblos This romance is devoted entirely to a female figure called Cynthia. Cynthia prima suis
miserum me cepit ocellis - 'Cynthia was the first to capture with her eyes my pitiable self,' the very first line of poetry proclaims. It then goes on to say:
Till then I was free from desire's contagion. Love
Then forced me to lower my gaze of steady
hauter
And trampled my head with his feet
Until, perverse, he had taught me to demur
At faithful girls and live without taking thought.
A whole year and my frenzy does not flag,
Though I'm forced to know the gods' disapprobation.
I.I. Propertius' first book was apparently a success.Whenever, therefore, the Fates require my life,
And I shall be a brief name in little marble,
Cynthia has 42 variant forms: Cinda, Cindee, Cindi, Cindie, Cindy,
Cinnie, Cinny, Cinthia, Cintia, Cinzia, Cyn, Cynda, Cyndee,
Cyndia, Cyndie, Cyndra, Cyndy, Cynnie, Cynthea, Cynthie,
Cynthya, Cyntia, Cytia, Kynthia, Kynthija,
Sindee, Sindi, Sindy, Sindya, Sinnie, Sinnie, Sinny,
Synda, Syndee, Syndi,
Syndy, Syntha, Synthee, Syntheea, Synthia,
Synthie and Synthya.
