Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Classics

Advisor

Rachel Kousser

Subject Categories

Classical Literature and Philology | Other Classics

Keywords

exclusus amator, paraclausithyron, modern songwriting, classical reception, elegy, rejection

Abstract

This thesis examines the exclusus amator, or “shut-out lover” trope as it appears in Greek and Roman texts, surveying the many examples of this motif and picking out its main elements: Intense Pain, Strong Emotions, Rejection, Interaction with the Door. It also notes the universality of the trope (anyone of any sexuality from any walk of life can be an exclusus amator) and the many references to the motif in other types of ancient media, including in graffiti, which shows that the exclusus amator was a real-life occurrence. This paper then examines modern songwriting, a genre chosen for its similarities to elegy, and points out the similarities and differences between ancient and modern exclusi amatores, acknowledging that these differences teach us crucial things about the ancient world and our modern selves.

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