  Central velocity dispersions and eight line-strength Lick indices have been
determined from 1.3${\rm \AA}$ resolution long-slit spectra of 16 elliptical
galaxies in Hickson compact groups. These data were used to determine galaxy
properties (ages, metallicities and $\alpha$-element enhancements) and allowed
a comparison with the parameters determined for a sample of galaxies in lower
density environments, studied by Gonz\'alez (1993). The stellar population
parameters were derived by comparison to single stellar population models of
Thomas et al. (2003) and to a new set of SSP models for the indices Mg$_2$,
Fe5270 and Fe5335 based on synthetic spetra. These models, based on an update
version of the fitting functions presented in Barbuy et al. (2003), are fully
described here. Our main results are: (1) the two samples have similar mean
values for the metallicities and [$\alpha$/Fe] ratios, (2) the majority of the
galaxies in compact groups seem to be old (median age of 14 Gyr for eight
galaxies for which ages could be derived), in agreement with recent work by
Proctor et al. (2004). These findings support two possible scenarios: compact
groups are either young systems whose members have recently assembled and had
not enough time to experience any merging yet or, instead, they are old systems
that have avoided merging since their time of formation.
