Ancient, classical and medieval texts Books

Book SynopsisThis book introduces the evocative but largely unknown tradition of Samaritan religious poetry from late antiquity to a new audience. These verses provide a unique window into the Samaritan religious world during a formative period.Prepared by Laura Suzanne Lieber, this anthology presents annotated English translations of fifty-five Classical Samaritan poems. Lieber introduces each piece, placing it in context with Samaritan religious tradition, the geopolitical turmoil of Palestine in the fourth century CE, and the literary, liturgical, and performative conventions of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, shared by Jews, Christians, and polytheists. These hymns, composed by three generations of poets—the priest Amram Dara; his son, Marqah; and Marqah’s son, Ninna, the last poet to write in Samaritan Aramaic in the period prior to the Muslim conquest—for recitation during the Samaritan Sabbath and festival liturgies remain a core element of Samaritan religious ritual to the present day.Shedding important new light on the Samaritans’ history and on the complicated connections between early Judaism, Christianity, the Samaritan community, and nascent Islam, this volume makes an important contribution to the reception of the history of the Hebrew Bible. It will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, early Judaism and early Christianity, and other religions of late antiquity.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of AbbreviationsIntroductionAmram Dare (Amram the Elder)1. “Since There Is No God but the One”2. “Unto You Do We Pray, O Our Master”3. “O Steadfast One, Toward Whom Everything Bows”4. “O Good One, Who Eternally Does Good”5. “The Almighty Is Powerfully Strong”6. “Great Is God, and None Like Him”7. “When You Rise Up at Daybreak”8. “You Are the Glory, O God Concealed from All”9. “Imposing and Fearsome Fences”10. “The King Who Is over All”11. “Exalted God, Hear Our Voice”12. “Lo, a Great Glory Is the Glory of the Sabbath Day”13. “We Have Arisen from Our Slumber”14. “Great Is the God Who So Desires”15. “O Faithful One, O Steadfast One”16. “Lo, a Holy and Hallowed Day”17. “Among All the Days, None Is So Great as the Sabbath Day”18. “God, Exalted and Honored”19. “To God, the Mighty and Triumphant”20. “Blessed is the House of Jacob”21. “Great Is God, Who Thus Commanded”22. “O Beneficent Rememberer Who Does Not Forget”23. “You are the One Who Created the World”24. “Who Can Reckon Your Greatness?”25. “May You Be Worshipped and Praised”26. “You Are the One to Whom Divinity Belongs”27. “You Who Were Our Creator”28. “O Merciful God, Rescue Us”Marqe ben Amram1. “Gaze upon Us, O Our Master”2. “God Who Shall Be Worshipped”3. “You Are Our God (1)”4. “You Are Our God (2)”5. “It Is Incumbent upon Us”6. “Render Praise unto Him”7. “You Are the Merciful One”8. “Happy Are We”9. “God Is the First”10. “O God, O Enduring One”11. “O God, O Singular One”12. “O God, ‘El Elyon’ ”13. “Lo, the Merciful King”14. “Lo, Our Souls Are Sated”15. “God, upon Mount Sinai”16. “This Is His Great Writing”17. “Come in Peace, O Day of Fasting”18. “O Good One, in Whom the One Who Hopes”19. “You Are the One Who Created the World”20. “You Are the Great Writing”21. “Lo, the Radiant and Holy Writing”22. “This Is the Great Writing”23. “Continue to Bless the Name”24. “Receive the Word of the Living One”25. “Germon, the Roman Official”Ninna ben Marqe1. “Go in Peace, O Sabbath Day”2. “Go Forth in Peace”BibliographySubject IndexAncient Source Index

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Book SynopsisIt is difficult to envision the Middle Ages without heraldry; knights and ladies are routinely depicted with elaborate arms gracing their shields and clothing. The herald himself is also pervasive in the popular imagination, as he announces the arrival of some grandee. Edited here for the first time are some of the texts which detail the relationship between heraldic design and working heralds. That relationship changed dramatically over the fifteenth century as heralds claimed the right to design, interpret and grant arms according to an elaborate interpretive system. These texts, the work of clerics, heralds and even a future pope, describe the rules of heraldic design and the meaning of colours and charges. They also focus on the role of the herald himself, whether he is serving as a political or personal confidant, or organizing a trial by combat. Finally, they outline an imagined history of the office of arms, claiming that the herald’s authority could be traced to Julius Caesar, the Trojan hero Hector, or even the god Dionysus. These texts, little known in contemporary scholarship, provide valuable insight into the intellectual and visual culture of fifteenth-century chivalric society.Trade Review‘Moll has done an admirable job in establishing the sources and relationships among the complex texts he has edited in this volume, and the English texts themselves. The editions themselves all appear to be models of their kind, meticulously reconstructed and clearly presented, and will surely be of considerable use to heraldists and heraldic historians--whose interests in such matters have increased significantly in recent years--as well as to students of Middle English language and literature.'D'Arcy Jonathan Dacre Boulton, The Medieval Review‘A Heraldic Miscellany is an impressive book. Alongside editing the texts for the first time, Moll places them within their historical context, discussing the changing role of the herald in the fifteenth century… It is recommended reading. Moll’s intention to attract a wider scholarly audience to heraldic texts will be realised if future editions are of this quality.’ Matthew Ward, Nottingham Medieval Studies'Moll’s volume is a refreshing and overdue resource... By making [medieval heraldic treatises] more readily available for the first time, Moll paves the way for deeper understanding and new perspectives' Sheri Chriqui, The Coat of Arms‘Moll has done an admirable job in establishing the sources and relationships among the complex texts he has edited in this volume, and the English texts themselves. The editions… [are] meticulously reconstructed and clearly presented, and will surely be of considerable use to heraldists and heraldic historians.’ D’Arcy Jonathan Dacre Boulton, TMRTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of figuresList of abbreviations1. General Introduction2. Johannes de Bado Aureo’s Tractatus de armisIntroductionb) Text3. Eneas Silvio Piccolomini’s Eneas de heraldisa) Introductionb) Text4. Dionisius, furst institutorea) Introductionb) Text5. Adam Loutfut’s manuscripta) Loutfut IntroductionÞe lawe of armes within listisb) Introductionc) TextThe Persewantd) Introductione) TextThe Origynall Determynyng of Blasonyng of Armesf) Introductiong) TextWorks CitedGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisThis is the first edition of Andreas for 55 years, also the first to present the Anglo-Saxon, or rather Old English, text with a parallel Modern English poetic translation. The book aims not only to provide both students and scholars with an up-to-date text and introduction and notes, but also to reconfirm the canonical merit of Andreas as one of the longest and most important works in Old English literature. The introduction to our text is substantial, re-positioning this poem in respect of nearly six decades’ progress in the palaeography, sources and analogues, language, metrics, literary criticism and archaeology of Andreas. The book argues that the poet was Mercian, that he was making ironic reference to Beowulf and that his story of St Andrew converting pagan Mermedonian cannibals was coloured by King Alfred’s wars against the Danes (871-9, 885-6, 892-6). Andreas is here dated to Alfred’s later reign with such analysis of contexts in history and ideology that the author’s name is also hypothesized. The Old English text and Modern English translation of Andreas are presented in a split-page format, allowing students at whatever level of familiarity with the Anglo-Saxon vernacular to gain a direct access to the poem in close to its original form. The translation follows the poem’s word order and style, allowing modern readers to feel the imagination, ideology and humour of Andreas as closely as possible. The text of the Old English poem is accompanied by a full set of supporting notes, and a glossary representing the translation.Trade ReviewReviews 'Two major critical editions of [Andreas] were published during the twentieth century [...] but the new edition from Richard North and Michael D.J. Bintley is sure to displace them and become the standard edition cited in professional scholarship. An extraordinary amount of labor appears to have been invested in this massive work, which offers much more than its predecessors. […] An infectious enthusiasm for the poem and its possible connections to Anglo-Saxon intellectual and material culture pervades the book and is bound to spread to some of its readers. North and Bintley’s rich edition should stimulate a wave of new interpretations of Andreas and inspire new investigations into its date of composition and historical context. It is in many respects an exemplary edition, which could serve as a model for new editions of other Old English poems that have been satisfactorily edited before.' Leonard Neidorf, Studia Neophilologica, June 2017'A highlight of this new edition is the presence of a translation, in modern English, on the same page, the old-English text above, the translation down. Quite literally, the translation closely follows the original, making the rich vocabulary and complex syntax of the poem more accessible. ... The critical apparatus also includes a substantial glossary and a bibliography, supplemented by an index that covers both the introduction and the commentary. It is therefore an excellent edition that provides Anglicist medievalists with all the critical tools to both understand Andreas and follow the arguments of R.N. and M.B.' (Translated from French) Leo Carruthers, Le Moyen ge'Learned and precise, Richard North and Michael Bintley's superb new edition will bring this often-bizarre, but always interesting composition to the next few generations of twenty-first century scholars. ... This new authoritative edition of Andreas is a triumph of scholarship.' Andrew Scheil, The Medieval ReviewTable of Contents List of Figures List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Poem and its Analogues 2. The Manuscript 3. Language and Dialect Phonology Vocabulary Linguistic conclusion 4. Metre and Prosody 5. Poetic Style Poetic allusions to Cynewulf Poetic allusions to Beowulf 6. Mermedonia Boundaries and meeting-places Burial mounds Pagan sites and Christian churches Roman spolia and the Mermedonian prison Pathways in Andreas Mermedonia as a Roman city Mermedonia as a WS burh Summary 7. Date and Authorship Anti-Danish animus WS royal patronage Alfred’s church of St Andrew Alfred’s ‘wealth’ and ‘wisdom’ Note on the Text and Translation Text and Translation List of Emendations Commentary Bibliography Glossary List of Proper Names Index

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Book SynopsisThe volume continues P. G. Walsh's admired translation with commentary of Augustine's The City of God Books I-XIV which have been published in eight earlier volumes between 2003 and 2016, and this ninth volume in the collection looks at books XV and XVI. After completing the first ten books of De Civitate Dei, in which Augustine sought to refute the claim that pagan deities had ensured that Rome enjoyed unbroken success and prosperity in this life and guaranteed its citizens a blessed life after death, Augustine devoted the remaining twelve books to discuss the origins, development and destiny of the two cities of Babylon and Jerusalem, with the predominant emphasis on the city of God. This is the only edition of these books in English which provides not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Table of ContentsPrefaceAbbreviations and BibliographyINTRODUCTIONNOTESTEXT AND TRANSLATION OF BOOK XV TEXT AND TRANSLATION OF BOOK XVICOMMENTARY ON BOOK XV COMMENTARY ON BOOK XVIIndices

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Book SynopsisThe volume continues P. G. Walsh's admired translation with commentary of Augustine's The City of God Books I-XIV which have been published in eight earlier volumes between 2003 and 2016, and this ninth volume in the collection looks at books XV and XVI. After completing the first ten books of De Civitate Dei, in which Augustine sought to refute the claim that pagan deities had ensured that Rome enjoyed unbroken success and prosperity in this life and guaranteed its citizens a blessed life after death, Augustine devoted the remaining twelve books to discuss the origins, development and destiny of the two cities of Babylon and Jerusalem, with the predominant emphasis on the city of God. This is the only edition of these books in English which provides not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Table of ContentsPrefaceAbbreviations and BibliographyINTRODUCTIONNOTESTEXT AND TRANSLATION OF BOOK XV TEXT AND TRANSLATION OF BOOK XVICOMMENTARY ON BOOK XV COMMENTARY ON BOOK XVIIndices

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together a variety of studies, some reprinted, some new; all are devoted to the literate culture of the English later Middle Ages. The studies hover about four foci: normative English polylingualism (across three grammatically distinct languages); the messiness and discontinuities of medieval manuscript production; drawing conclusions about historical audiences/literary communities on the basis of book-evidence; and finally, the Middle English poem Piers Plowman. In general, although all the essays here arrive at broad conclusions, their point is other. The essays exemplify methods of study, the identification of problems and the recognition of tools appropriate or helpful in addressing them. Perhaps particularly the volume gestures toward a range of skills appropriate for the task; these range from narrow observation of book-production techniques to bringing a local historical record to bear on an individual volume or group of them.Trade Review‘Patient Reading constitutes a major contribution to book history. It also offers a sustained reflection on the reading practices that might best illuminate medieval texts […] Patient Reading presents a rich compendium of material, the fruit of Hanna’s own “patient . . . absorption” in the medieval archive (8). It also makes some stimulating and consequential claims about the creative, polylingual, exegetical practices that gave shape to medieval sermons and to medieval poems.’Alastair Bennett, Modern Philology'Running alongside the erudition of this volume, there is a basic humility and unashamed bookishness that again points towards Hanna's implicit ideological position that historical literacy scholarship is worthwhile in and of itself.' Ian Felce, Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen‘These separate studies are thick with historical and cultural detail, descriptive analysis, and codicological argument, and signpost many untrodden avenues for further research while also offering precise and informative discoveries.’ Margaret Connolly, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval StudiesTable of ContentsAbbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction [I] Language Barriers 1. Literacy, Schooling, Universities 2.Vernacular Exegesis in Fourteenth-Century England? 3.Lambeth Palace Library, MS 260 and the Problem of English Vernacularity 4.Editing 'Middle English Lyrics': The Case of Candet nudatum pectus 5.Performing Exegesis: Lyric and Sermon in Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.6.26 [II] Nasty Books: Collection Procedures 6.Lambeth Palace Library, MS 487: Some Problems of Early Thirteenth-Century Textual Transmission 7.Producing Magdalen College MS lat. 93 8.A Fifteenth-Century Vernacular Miscellany Revisited 9.Humphrey Newton and Bodleian Library, MS Lat. misc. c.66 [III] Historicising the Archive 10.Yorkshire Writers 11.Some North Yorkshire Scribes and Their Context 12.Dr Peter Partridge and Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 98 13.John of Wales and 'Classicising Friars' [IV] Still Harping On – Reading(:) Patience in Piers Plowman An Ideological Prequel Prologue: Langland's Kind of Poetry 1. On Patience 2. Conscience's Dinner 3. Hawkin and Patience's Instruction 4. The C Version Revisions Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe manuscript translated here contains one of the most important texts for understanding the development of early Ottoman historiography in the fifteenth century. The so-called Oxford Anonymous chronicle is a comprehensive history of the Ottoman dynasty in Turkish, compiled from various sources to tell the story of the dynasty from its rise to the year 1484 (AH 889). Like several other histories produced around the same time, some of which it influenced, it presents the Ottomans in the context of wider Islamic history and contains a coherent argument for their superiority over other dynasties. The manuscript had previously belonged to the Dutch orientalist Jacob Golius (d. 1667). Although its history is largely unknown, it was probably a presentation copy made for Sultan Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). The work itself is a product of Bayezid’s patronage, and shows a strong preoccupation with the perennial Ottoman problem of dynastic succession. Fully one third of the manuscript contains an older text recounting in epic terms the struggles of Mehmed I against his brothers (1402–13). The obvious explanation is that when Oxford Anonymous was compiled, Bayezid II was also facing a rival claimant to the throne, his brother Cem Sultan (d. 1495).Trade Review'The utility of Kastritsis’s crisp and eminently readable translation of OA (on the finer points of which both space and time inhibit me from commenting), together with his illuminating and thoughtful introduction, will be of great value not only to specialists in the field but to other late medieval historians who may not be so well acquainted with fifteenth-century Ottoman Turkish. Its appearance, in the series, be it noted, Translated Texts for Byzantinists, is to be greatly welcomed.' Colin Heywood, SpeculumTable of ContentsAcknowledgements ixNote on style and transliteration xiAbbreviations xiii1 Introduction 1Oxford Anonymous (Marsh 313) in the context of early Ottoman historical writing 1Description and history of the manuscript 8The author and circumstances of composition 10Overview of the contents 11The introductory chapters and their significance 16The sections on Ottoman history 282 Translation 43Preface 45Chapter 1 52Chapter 2 55[Lacuna]Inquiry 2 (Orhan) 69Inquiry 3 (Murad I) 74Inquiry 4 (Bayezid I) 85Inquiry 5 (Mehmed I) 97Inquiry 6 (Murad II) 155Inquiry 7 (Mehmed II) 175Inquiry 8 (Bayezid II) 213Glossary 219Bibliography 223Index 243

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Book SynopsisThis is not a commentary on Juvenal Satire 10 but a critical appreciation of the poem which examines it on its own and in context and tries to make it come alive as a piece of literature, offering one man’s close reading of Satire 10 as poetry, and concerned with literary criticism rather than philological minutiae. In line with the recent broadening of insight into Juvenal’s writing this book often addresses the issues of distortion and problematizing and covers style, sound and diction as well. Much time is also devoted to intertextuality and to humour, wit and irony. Building on the work of scholars like Martyn, Jenkyns and Schmitz, who see in Juvenal a consistently skilful and sophisticated author, this is a whole book demonstrating a high level of expertise on Juvenal’s part sustained throughout; a long poem (rather than intermittent flashes). This investigation of 10 leads to the conclusion that Juvenal is an accomplished poet and provocative satirist, a writer with real focus, who makes every word count, and a final chapter exploring Satires 11 and 12 confirms that assessment. Translation of the Latin and explanation of references are included so that Classics students will find the book easier to use and it will also be accessible to scholars and students interested in satire outside of Classics departments.Trade ReviewReviews 'A meticulous, sophisticated, and humane treatment, designed for undergraduates, of Juvenal’s thought and poetic craft in his Satire 10.' Dr Ian Goh, University of Exeter'This would be a very good book to put into the hands of somebody who is coming to the text of Juvenal for the first time and wants to see what all the fuss is about. Murgatroyd tells us that this book is aimed at ‘senior undergraduates and above’, but in fact his language is at all times accessible to anybody with an interest in the subject-matter—all Latin is well translated into fluent English and the author’s style can even be chatty and light-hearted to suit the highly unsolemn nature of some of the Latin under discussion.' John Godwin, Classics for All

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Book SynopsisThis book is an edition of the Athenian Constitution, the only one to survive of 158 Constitutions written in the school of Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., of which a text on papyrus was found at the end of the nineteenth century. Based on an edition commissioned by the Fondazione Lorenzo Valla in Italy, it provides an introduction, a re-edited Greek text with a facing translation, and a commentary. The editor has been engaged with this text throughout his working life, and published a large commentary on it in 1981 and a Penguin Classics translation of it in 1984: since then scholarly advances have continued, and he has been able to take advantage of them to bring the material in this book up to date. The translation aims at an accurate rendering of the Greek text; the commentary is based on the translation, and should be accessible to readers with little or no knowledge of Greek.Trade ReviewReviews 'An ideal book for undergraduate and graduate students of ancient history [as] it includes an English translation, focuses on the historical and historiographical aspects and is more affordable than the large commentary.'Gertjan Verhasselt, Bryn Mawr Classical Review‘Indispensable for drilling deep into the history and the educated democratic system of Athens.’ Uwe Walter, Historische Zeitschrift (translated from German)'The mere fact that it combines text, translation, and commentary, all in one place, already places this book well above the principal alternatives [...] The price is also very reasonable given the size of the book; any decent library that professes to cater to students of classics or ancient history ought to acquire a copy. It seems almost certain that Rhodes will serve yet another generation of English­-speaking students as their initial guide to the study of the Athenaiōn Politeia – and serve them very well indeed.' Thomas Hooper, Polis Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionText and translationCommentaryAbbreviations and referencesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTwo volume set The Second Council of Nicaea (787) decreed that religious images were to set up in churches and venerated. It thereby established the cult of icons as a central element in the piety of the Orthodox churches, as it has remained ever since. In the West its decrees received a new emphasis in the Counter-Reformation, in the defence of the role of art in religion. It is a text of prime importance for the iconoclast controversy of eighth-century Byzantium, one of the most explored and contested topics in Byzantine history. But it has also a more general significance – in the history of culture and the history of art. This edition offers the first translation that is based on the new critical edition of this text in the Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum series, and the first full commentary of this work that has ever been written. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers from a variety of disciplines.Trade Review‘Price has done much to make the acts of major ecclesiastical councils from the fifth through eighth centuries accessible by producing reliable, well-annotated translations in the Translated Texts for Historians series... Scholars of the early Middle Ages, Byzantium and early Christianity should welcome the appearance of this volume. The translation has benefitted immensely from Price’s previous work on the ecumenical councils and his thorough engagement with Lamberz’s new edition and conclusions about the acts.’ Philip Michael Forness, Journal of Ecclesiastical History‘Price offers not only a reliable translation with footnotes but also a comprehensive general introduction to the iconoclast controversy, the council and the acts, as well as introductory observations on the individual sessions and texts which often summarize clearly, and through further observations supplement, the discussions on a particular theme or text that are not always easy to find in the three volumes of my edition.’ Erich Lamberz, author of Concilium Universale Nicaenum secundum: Concilii Actiones I–VII (Walter de Gruyter, 2008-2016)‘The present work [The Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea] is perhaps the finest Price has done so far… Price wades into [iconoclasm’s] complex debates with judicious skill. His seventy-six-page introduction contains one of the most succinct, balanced and insightful overviews of the subject currently in print… this is exactly what a translation should be: accurate, accessible and informative.’ Mike Humphreys, Journal of Roman Studies

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Book SynopsisFor the modern world Greek tragedy is represented almost entirely by those plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides whose texts have been preserved since they were first produced in the fifth century BC. From that period and the next two hundred years more than eighty other tragic poets are known from biographical and production data, play-titles, mythical subject-matter, and remnants of their works quoted by other ancient writers or rediscovered in papyrus texts. This edition includes all the remnants of tragedies that can be identified with these other poets, with English translations, related historical information, detailed explanatory notes and bibliographies. Volume 1 includes some twenty 5th-century poets, notably Phrynichus, Aristarchus, Ion, Achaeus, Sophocles’ son Iophon, Agathon and the doubtful cases of Neophron (author of a Medea supposedly imitated by Euripides) and Critias (possibly author of three other tragedies attributed to Euripides). Volume 2 will include the 4th- and 3rd-century tragedians and some anonymous material derived from ancient sources or rediscovered papyrus texts.Remnants of these poets’ satyr-plays are included in a separate Aris & Phillips Classical Texts volume, Euripides Cyclops and Major Fragments of Greek Satyric Drama, edited by Patrick O’Sullivan and Christopher Collard (2013).Trade Review‘The most valuable element of the volume is the introductory discussions for each author and for each title, as well as the commentary notes to the testimonies and fragments.' Felice Stama, Bryn Mawr Classical Review ‘Our general opinion on Cropp's work is highly positive: well documented, scientifically up-to-date and rigorous, but at the same time easy to consult.’ Paolo B. Cipolla, Exemplaria Classica (translated from Italian).‘The clear translations, appropriately designed commentaries, and especially the excellent introductions to the individual poets and plays, in which Cropp includes both older and recent interpretations, while frequently adding his own thought-provoking suggestions, will find a grateful readership.’ Hauke Schneider, Gymnasium (translated from German)Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionTragedy in the fifth century: a sketchSourcesThis editionTexts, Translations and NotesThespis (TrGF 1) Choerilus (TrGF 2) Phrynichus (TrGF 3) Pratinas (TrGF 4) Polyphrasmon (TrGF 7) Aristias (TrGF 9) Euphorion, Euaeon (TrGF 12, 13) Aristarchus (TrGF 14) Neophron (TrGF 15) Euripides I, II (TrGF 16, 17) Ion (TrGF 19) Achaeus (TrGF 20) Iophon (TrGF 22)Philocles I (TrGF 24) Xenocles I (TrGF 33) Agathon (TrGF 39) Critias? (TrGF 43) Diogenes of Athens (TrGF 45) Abbreviations and references Indexes (Poets; Titles; Sources; General)

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Book SynopsisThe Chronicle of Logothetes covers the period from the Creation of the World to the burial of emperor Romanos I Lekapenos in the summer of 948 AD. If we deduce a medieval text's importance and success from the number of extant manuscripts, this work must score highly. While some medieval chronicles have come down to us in only one manuscript, about thirty manuscripts transmit the Chronicle of the Logothete in its main form, and there are also manuscripts containing different kinds of elaborated versions of the text. Also, the chronicle was translated into Old Slavonic at least twice. In spite of the work's popularity, the chronicler himself remains obscure. It has been suggested that this could be Symeon Metaphrastes, an illustrious Byzantine literate who collected and edited, or wrote, Saints' Lives. However, it is fairly certain only the final compilation of the text was made in the second half of the 10th century, which reveals a pro-Lekapenian bias and an antipathy towards the Macedonian dynasty. This volume is based on the translator's 2006 edition of the text and constitutes the first translation ever into English.Trade ReviewReviews'The importance of this chronicle cannot be overstressed: for us it is the most important Byzantine history for the hundred years after Theophanes, who covered up to the early ninth century. It is a great historical and historiographical read, too.' Adrian Spooner, Classics for All‘A very careful and useful translation that will contribute to the knowledge of Byzantine historiography among medievalists and the general public.’ Juan Signes Codoñer, The Byzantine Review ‘The book can be recommended as a useful working tool for capturing this important text, not only byzantinists, but also by historians without restrictions, because of the excellent translation, which is enriched by the philological commentary.’ Raphael Brendel, Sehepunkte

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Book SynopsisThis book is an edition of the Athenian Constitution, the only one to survive of 158 Constitutions written in the school of Aristotle in the fourth century B.C., of which a text on papyrus was found at the end of the nineteenth century. Based on an edition commissioned by the Fondazione Lorenzo Valla in Italy, it provides an introduction, a re-edited Greek text with a facing translation, and a commentary. The editor has been engaged with this text throughout his working life, and published a large commentary on it in 1981 and a Penguin Classics translation of it in 1984: since then scholarly advances have continued, and he has been able to take advantage of them to bring the material in this book up to date. The translation aims at an accurate rendering of the Greek text; the commentary is based on the translation, and should be accessible to readers with little or no knowledge of Greek.Trade ReviewReviews 'An ideal book for undergraduate and graduate students of ancient history [as] it includes an English translation, focuses on the historical and historiographical aspects and is more affordable than the large commentary.'Gertjan Verhasselt, Bryn Mawr Classical Review‘Indispensable for drilling deep into the history and the educated democratic system of Athens.’ Uwe Walter, Historische Zeitschrift (translated from German)'The mere fact that it combines text, translation, and commentary, all in one place, already places this book well above the principal alternatives [...] The price is also very reasonable given the size of the book; any decent library that professes to cater to students of classics or ancient history ought to acquire a copy. It seems almost certain that Rhodes will serve yet another generation of English­-speaking students as their initial guide to the study of the Athenaiōn Politeia – and serve them very well indeed.' Thomas Hooper, Polis Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionText and translationCommentaryAbbreviations and referencesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHerodotus is a colossus of ancient history, from whose major work the Histories, much of our knowledge of the Persian Wars and other events of the period derives. Writing in the third quarter of the fifth century B.C., he is the earliest Greek historian whose work survives and he was the first to produce an accomplished treatment of a major theme. Setting it in the context of conflict between Europe and Asia, Herodotus gives an account which traces the rise and expansion of the Persian empire and its dealings with the Greeks, and culminates in the Persians’ unsuccessful invasions of Greece in 490 and 480–479 B.C.This is the first part to be included in the Aris & Phillips Classical Texts series of the Histories. Book V covers the beginning of the revolt of the Ionian Greeks against Persia in the 490s, with digressions on the history of Athens and Sparta at that time. As with other volumes in the series this volume comprises Introduction, Greek text with selective critical apparatus, English translation and a Commentary which focuses particularly on the history which Herodotus narrates, and how and why he narrates it as he does.Trade Review'This edition marks an auspicious beginning for Herodotus in the Aris and Phillips series; it provides a lucid and learned introduction to an author whose boundless curiosity requires informed explication by a “wise advisor” indeed, and Professor Rhodes unquestionably fills the bill. It is difficult for me to imagine, on this scale, a more informative historical commentary on book five.' Charles Chiasson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'Rhodes sets out to provide his audience with a translation in which the meaning is expressed in good English, he unmistakably continues that practice in the commentary proper, too. I found it very readable.' Jan P. Stronk, Exemplaria Classica‘For as compact a work as it is, it shows remarkable depth of scholarly engagement... [Rhodes’] work will thus be especially useful for students of ancient Greek and scholars seeking guidance on the historical and historiographical issues raised by the text while offering some language support... this is a much-needed contribution to the field of historiography in terms of both research and teaching.’ Rachel Bruzzone, The Classical ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Herodotus and his History2. The Conflicts between the Greeks and the Persians3. Summary of Book V4. Abbreviations Used in Critical ApparatusText and TranslationCommentaryIndex

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Book SynopsisThis is the first edition of Andreas for 55 years, also the first to present the Anglo-Saxon, or rather Old English, text with a parallel Modern English poetic translation. The book aims not only to provide both students and scholars with an up-to-date text and introduction and notes, but also to reconfirm the canonical merit of Andreas as one of the longest and most important works in Old English literature. The introduction to our text is substantial, re-positioning this poem in respect of nearly six decades’ progress in the palaeography, sources and analogues, language, metrics, literary criticism and archaeology of Andreas. The book argues that the poet was Mercian, that he was making ironic reference to Beowulf and that his story of St Andrew converting pagan Mermedonian cannibals was coloured by King Alfred’s wars against the Danes (871-9, 885-6, 892-6). Andreas is here dated to Alfred’s later reign with such analysis of contexts in history and ideology that the author’s name is also hypothesized. The Old English text and Modern English translation of Andreas are presented in a split-page format, allowing students at whatever level of familiarity with the Anglo-Saxon vernacular to gain a direct access to the poem in close to its original form. The translation follows the poem’s word order and style, allowing modern readers to feel the imagination, ideology and humour of Andreas as closely as possible. The text of the Old English poem is accompanied by a full set of supporting notes, and a glossary representing the translation.Trade ReviewReviews 'Two major critical editions of [Andreas] were published during the twentieth century [...] but the new edition from Richard North and Michael D.J. Bintley is sure to displace them and become the standard edition cited in professional scholarship. An extraordinary amount of labor appears to have been invested in this massive work, which offers much more than its predecessors. […] An infectious enthusiasm for the poem and its possible connections to Anglo-Saxon intellectual and material culture pervades the book and is bound to spread to some of its readers. North and Bintley’s rich edition should stimulate a wave of new interpretations of Andreas and inspire new investigations into its date of composition and historical context. It is in many respects an exemplary edition, which could serve as a model for new editions of other Old English poems that have been satisfactorily edited before.' Leonard Neidorf, Studia Neophilologica, June 2017'A highlight of this new edition is the presence of a translation, in modern English, on the same page, the old-English text above, the translation down. Quite literally, the translation closely follows the original, making the rich vocabulary and complex syntax of the poem more accessible. ... The critical apparatus also includes a substantial glossary and a bibliography, supplemented by an index that covers both the introduction and the commentary. It is therefore an excellent edition that provides Anglicist medievalists with all the critical tools to both understand Andreas and follow the arguments of R.N. and M.B.' (Translated from French) Leo Carruthers, Le Moyen ge'Learned and precise, Richard North and Michael Bintley's superb new edition will bring this often-bizarre, but always interesting composition to the next few generations of twenty-first century scholars. ... This new authoritative edition of Andreas is a triumph of scholarship.' Andrew Scheil, The Medieval ReviewTable of Contents List of Figures List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Poem and its Analogues 2. The Manuscript 3. Language and Dialect Phonology Vocabulary Linguistic conclusion 4. Metre and Prosody 5. Poetic Style Poetic allusions to Cynewulf Poetic allusions to Beowulf 6. Mermedonia Boundaries and meeting-places Burial mounds Pagan sites and Christian churches Roman spolia and the Mermedonian prison Pathways in Andreas Mermedonia as a Roman city Mermedonia as a WS burh Summary 7. Date and Authorship Anti-Danish animus WS royal patronage Alfred’s church of St Andrew Alfred’s ‘wealth’ and ‘wisdom’ Note on the Text and Translation Text and Translation List of Emendations Commentary Bibliography Glossary List of Proper Names Index

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Book SynopsisThe manuscript translated here contains one of the most important texts for understanding the development of early Ottoman historiography in the fifteenth century. The so-called Oxford Anonymous chronicle is a comprehensive history of the Ottoman dynasty in Turkish, compiled from various sources to tell the story of the dynasty from its rise to the year 1484 (AH 889). Like several other histories produced around the same time, some of which it influenced, it presents the Ottomans in the context of wider Islamic history and contains a coherent argument for their superiority over other dynasties. The manuscript had previously belonged to the Dutch orientalist Jacob Golius (d. 1667). Although its history is largely unknown, it was probably a presentation copy made for Sultan Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). The work itself is a product of Bayezid’s patronage, and shows a strong preoccupation with the perennial Ottoman problem of dynastic succession. Fully one third of the manuscript contains an older text recounting in epic terms the struggles of Mehmed I against his brothers (1402–13). The obvious explanation is that when Oxford Anonymous was compiled, Bayezid II was also facing a rival claimant to the throne, his brother Cem Sultan (d. 1495).Trade Review'The utility of Kastritsis’s crisp and eminently readable translation of OA (on the finer points of which both space and time inhibit me from commenting), together with his illuminating and thoughtful introduction, will be of great value not only to specialists in the field but to other late medieval historians who may not be so well acquainted with fifteenth-century Ottoman Turkish. Its appearance, in the series, be it noted, Translated Texts for Byzantinists, is to be greatly welcomed.' Colin Heywood, SpeculumTable of ContentsAcknowledgements ixNote on style and transliteration xiAbbreviations xiii1 Introduction 1Oxford Anonymous (Marsh 313) in the context of early Ottoman historical writing 1Description and history of the manuscript 8The author and circumstances of composition 10Overview of the contents 11The introductory chapters and their significance 16The sections on Ottoman history 282 Translation 43Preface 45Chapter 1 52Chapter 2 55[Lacuna]Inquiry 2 (Orhan) 69Inquiry 3 (Murad I) 74Inquiry 4 (Bayezid I) 85Inquiry 5 (Mehmed I) 97Inquiry 6 (Murad II) 155Inquiry 7 (Mehmed II) 175Inquiry 8 (Bayezid II) 213Glossary 219Bibliography 223Index 243

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Book SynopsisEulogius (d. 859), a priest living under Islamic rule in Córdoba, is our principal source for the so-called “Córdoban martyrs’ movement” (850-859), in the course of which forty-eight Christians were decapitated for religious offenses against Islam. The majority of the victims were condemned for blasphemy, having deliberately flouted proscriptions against public expressions of disrespect for Muhammad. Interestingly enough, the Córdoban Christian community was not of one mind when it came to interpreting such provocative acts. While some were inclined to embrace the executed Christians as martyrs of the classic Roman type, others criticized them as self-immolators whose unprovoked outbursts only complicated the working relationship between the Christian community and the Muslim authorities. The writings of Eulogius, which were designed to record the deaths and present them as legitimate martyrdoms, allow both for the reconstruction of Christian life under Muslim rule and an appreciation for the range of Christian attitudes toward Islam in ninth-century al-Spain. They also capture Eulogius’ self-conscious effort to construct a saint cult despite the absence of wide support for the “martyrs.” This is the first complete rendering of Eulogius' writings into English, and will be a valuable resource for historians and theologians alike.Trade Review'[The Eulogius Corpus] offers the first English translation as an indispensable tool for early medieval studies and in general to the understanding of the Christian-Islamic confrontation in the alphabet.'EugippiusTranslated from Italian, 'Se ne offre qui la prima traduzione inglese come strumento indispensabile agli studi storici alto medievali e in generale alla comprensione del confronto cristiani-islamici nell’al-Andalus omayyade del IX secolo.''The introduction… will no doubt become an essential starting point for those wishing to orientate themselves to the martyrs and their apologists.’ Jamie Wood, Early Medieval Europe'The Eulogius Corpus is an indispensable resource for English speakers studying the Cordoban martyrs and medieval Christian-Muslim relations. It will also be important for scholars working in other languages given Wolf’s careful documentation of secondary literature devoted to the martyrs. The footnotes that accompany Wolf’s translation, the comprehensive bibliography, and his illuminating introductory comments are invaluable.' Charles Tieszen, SpeculumTable of ContentsGlossaryIntroduction:The Christian Community of CórdobaThe “Martyrs of Córdoba”Eulogius of CórdobaEulogius and His MartyrsEulogius and His Christian OpponentsThe Absence of MiraclesThe Absence of PersecutionThe Absence of PagansTurning the TablesConclusionText and Translation:Paul Alvarus, Vita EulogiiEulogius, Memoriale sanctorumEulogius, Documentum martyrialeEulogius, Liber apologeticus martyrumEulogius, LettersAppendixSelect BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Old Testament book 1 Samuel (known as 1 Kings in modern Bibles) contains one of the most dramatic stories in the Old Testament, with its tense narrative about Israel’s first attempts to govern itself by kingship, and a cast of famous characters who drive the story — the priest and prophet Samuel, the tragic figure of King Saul, and chiefly David himself, the youngest son of Jesse, who slays the Philistine’s champion, Goliath, and gains God’s favour in replacement for Saul. The Venerable Bede (672-735 AD), Anglo-Saxon England’s foremost interpreter of the Bible, wrote many commentaries on the Old Testament, but his treatment of 1 Samuel stands out in particular: it is one of his longest commentaries, one of his first sustained attempts to deal with the Old Testament without support from an earlier commentary, and one of the few commentaries he wrote that can be dated precisely. Bede sets out to read the story of 1 Samuel as full of details which demonstrate the prophetic nature of Old Testament history, an attempt that is boldly experimental in its application of the allegorical method of interpretation.Historically, the commentary is of special interest for its detailed reference to the departure of Abbot Ceolfrith from Wearmouth-Jarrow in June 716 AD, which has allowed scholarship to firmly date the work and explore some potential links to the turbulent political scene in Northumbria that marked that decade. This English translation is the first rendering of the Latin into another language. The translation is preceded by a substantial introduction that places the work in the context of Bede’s oeuvre, discusses his sources and exegetical methods, and offers a reading of the work’s contemporary context in the light of current scholarly debate.Trade Review‘DeGregorio and Love have produced a valuable contribution to Bede studies and studies of early medieval religion more generally, making accessible and comprehensible a work that has much to say but which would otherwise invite too few readers.’ James T. Palmer, Speculum'On First Samuel is a very welcome contribution to the Translated Texts for Historian series and to Bedan scholarship more generally. The commentary’s value as a historical source is made explicit in the authors’ outstanding introduction, and this book will appeal to a broad audience with diverse interests in early English culture, intellectual history, and historical theology.'Meredith Cutrer, Comitatus 52Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction Date and Context in Bede’s Oeuvre1 Samuel: Canonical Context and Narrative ContentPatristic Sources and Biblical VersionsExegetical MethodThe Historical Context for the CompositionAcca of Hexham and 1 SamuelThemes in On First SamuelBede’s Latin Prose Style in On First SamuelEditions of On First Samuel and the Present TranslationOn First SamuelChapter HeadingsBook 1Book 2Book 3Book 4Appendix 1: Notes on Textual EmendationsAppendix 2: Interpolations in Book 4BibliographyIndex of SourcesGeneral Index

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Book SynopsisImperial Panegyric from Diocletian to Honorius examines one of the most important literatures of the late Roman period – speeches of praise addressed to the reigning emperor – and the panegyrical culture of the late Roman world more generally. Unlike much previous work on this topic, Imperial Panegyric takes a consciously comparative approach, especially between eastern and western, Greek and Latin texts.Each contributor draws upon evidence taken from multiple authors or from different kinds of panegyric in order to explore both the communal and the particular in this most idiosyncratic of media. The volume investigates to what extent there was a unified concept of imperial panegyric, and how local circumstances shaped individual speeches. It also considers the ways in which traditional forms of praise-giving respond to fourth-century phenomena such as the expansion of Christianity, collegial rulership, and the decline of Rome as the political centre of the empire. Its contributors include a roster of some of the most important names in the field of panegyric studies, both established researchers and the rising stars of the new generation.Trade Review‘The questions of how late-antique panegyric was interpreted, and should be interpreted, remain at the heart of our understanding of late-antique political culture.’ Richard Flower, Acta Classica 'Across [Imperial Panegyric from Diocletian to Honorius], there is a consistently high standard, and the different analyses enrich and extend the range of approaches from the definition of panegyric as a genre to the weight given in some panegyrics to women, to Christianity and to barbarians'Marzia Fiorentini, The Classical ReviewThe volume... offers a good starting point for further research into late antique panegyric... It not only shows which works need to be studied in more detail and which questions are still open, but also which possibilities exist to solve these problems.Raphael Brendel, Zeitschrift für GeschichtswissenschaftTranslated from German, 'Der Band... er einen guten Ansatzpunkt für die weitere Erforschung der spätantiken Panegyrik... Er zeigt nicht nur auf, welche Werke ausführlichererund welche Fragen noch offen sind, sondern auch, welche Möglichkeiten bestehen, um diese um diese Probleme.''This is a very worthwhile study to read. It both instructs readers with some general outlines and encourages them to consider several interesting key details of panegyric of Late Antiquity.' Felix Maier, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'The anthology offers something for many, whether one wants to pursue specific individual topics or also want to gain an overall impression of late antique panegyric, beyond the much-examined collection of the Panegyrici Latini.' Ulrich Lambrecht, PlekosTable of Contents1. Imperial Panegyric from Diocletian to HonoriusAdrastos Omissi & Alan J. RossPANEGYRIC: THEORY AND PRACTICE2. What is a ‘panegyric’?Laurent Pernot3. (Not) Making Faces: Prosopopeia in Late Antique PanegyricRoger Rees4. Libanius’ Imperial Speech to Constantius II and Constans (Or. 59): Context, Tradition, and InnovationGrammatiki KarlaTHE IMPERIAL IMAGE5. Playing with Conventions in Julian’s Encomium to Eusebia: Does Gender Make a Difference?Belinda Washington6. Julian and Claudius Mamertinus: Panegyric and Polemic in East and West Shaun TougherTHE ORATOR AND ORATORIAL IDENTITY7. How to Praise a Christian Emperor: The Panegyrical Experiments of Eusebius of CaesareaJames Corke-Webster8. Neoplatonic Philosophy in Tetrarchic and Constantinian PanegyricDiederik Burgersdijk9. Roman and Gallic in the Latin Panegyrics of Symmachus and AusoniusRobert ChenaultOUTSIDERS WITHIN THE SPEECH10. Civil War and the Late Roman Panegyrical CorpusAdrastos Omissi11. Inviting the Enemy in: Assimilating Barbarians in Theodosian PanegyricRobert Stone12. The Audience in Imperial PanegyricAlan J. RossAppendix: Editions, Translations and Commentaries of Imperial Panegyrics

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Book SynopsisThe Old Testament book 1 Samuel (known as 1 Kings in modern Bibles) contains one of the most dramatic stories in the Old Testament, with its tense narrative about Israel’s first attempts to govern itself by kingship, and a cast of famous characters who drive the story — the priest and prophet Samuel, the tragic figure of King Saul, and chiefly David himself, the youngest son of Jesse, who slays the Philistine’s champion, Goliath, and gains God’s favour in replacement for Saul. The Venerable Bede (672-735 AD), Anglo-Saxon England’s foremost interpreter of the Bible, wrote many commentaries on the Old Testament, but his treatment of 1 Samuel stands out in particular: it is one of his longest commentaries, one of his first sustained attempts to deal with the Old Testament without support from an earlier commentary, and one of the few commentaries he wrote that can be dated precisely. Bede sets out to read the story of 1 Samuel as full of details which demonstrate the prophetic nature of Old Testament history, an attempt that is boldly experimental in its application of the allegorical method of interpretation.Historically, the commentary is of special interest for its detailed reference to the departure of Abbot Ceolfrith from Wearmouth-Jarrow in June 716 AD, which has allowed scholarship to firmly date the work and explore some potential links to the turbulent political scene in Northumbria that marked that decade. This English translation is the first rendering of the Latin into another language. The translation is preceded by a substantial introduction that places the work in the context of Bede’s oeuvre, discusses his sources and exegetical methods, and offers a reading of the work’s contemporary context in the light of current scholarly debate.Trade Review‘DeGregorio and Love have produced a valuable contribution to Bede studies and studies of early medieval religion more generally, making accessible and comprehensible a work that has much to say but which would otherwise invite too few readers.’ James T. Palmer, Speculum'On First Samuel is a very welcome contribution to the Translated Texts for Historian series and to Bedan scholarship more generally. The commentary’s value as a historical source is made explicit in the authors’ outstanding introduction, and this book will appeal to a broad audience with diverse interests in early English culture, intellectual history, and historical theology.'Meredith Cutrer, Comitatus 52Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction Date and Context in Bede’s Oeuvre1 Samuel: Canonical Context and Narrative ContentPatristic Sources and Biblical VersionsExegetical MethodThe Historical Context for the CompositionAcca of Hexham and 1 SamuelThemes in On First SamuelBede’s Latin Prose Style in On First SamuelEditions of On First Samuel and the Present TranslationOn First SamuelChapter HeadingsBook 1Book 2Book 3Book 4Appendix 1: Notes on Textual EmendationsAppendix 2: Interpolations in Book 4BibliographyIndex of SourcesGeneral Index

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Book SynopsisThe First Council of Ephesus (431) was the climax of the so-called Nestorian Controversy. Convoked by the emperor Theodosius II to restore peace to the Church, it immediately divided into two rival councils, both meeting at Ephesus. Attempts by the emperor’s representatives to get the bishops on both sides to meet together had no success, and after four months the council was dissolved without having ever properly met. But a number of decrees by the larger of the two rival councils, in particular the condemnation of Nestorius of Constantinople, were subsequently accepted as the valid decrees of the ‘ecumenical council of Ephesus’. The documentation, consisting of conciliar proceedings, letters and other documents, provides information not only about events in Ephesus itself, but also about lobbying and public demonstrations in Constantinople. There is no episode in late Roman history where we are so well informed about how politics were conducted in the imperial capital. This makes the Acts a document of first importance for the history of the Later Roman Empire as well for that of the Church.Trade Review‘Richard Price [has made] translated texts for historians... available to a wider scholarly public... In this way, future research will have much easier access to difficult complex of traditions.’ Wolfram Kinzig, Plekos (translated from German)‘[S]ophisticated and nuanced historical narrative... an extraordinary contribution to scholarship on the council and on the development of fifth-century theology and ecclesiastical politics.’ Nathan Porter, Vigiliae ChristianaeTable of ContentsGeneral IntroductionI. The Sources II. The ‘Nestorian Controversy’ and the First Council of Ephesus: a brief historyIII. The TheologyDocuments and Proceedings1. Before the Council [Eph 1]2. The Session of 22 June [Eph 2]3. After the Session of 22 June [Eph 3]4. The ‘Session’ of 22 July [Eph 4] 5. From the end of July till Nestorius’ retirement [Eph 5]6. From the Colloquia at Chalcedon to the Dissolution of the Council [Eph 6]Appendices I. Attendance at the CouncilII. From the Coptic ActsGlossaryBibliography MapsIndices

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Book SynopsisArator’s Historia Apostolica, published with papal approval and to great acclaim in 544, is an enthralling epic poem which retells the story of the Acts of Apostles, following clearly in the stylistic footsteps of Vergil and Lucan. On the other hand, it is also a detailed commentary on what Arator perceived to be the hidden meaning of the biblical text, divined and revealed through the technique of allegorical interpretation and drawing upon the exegesis of Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, and others. Narrative and commentary alternate throughout the work to enthralling effect, as the apostles Peter and Paul embark on their separate missionary adventures, eventually to be reunited in martyrdom in Nero’s Rome. The translation is preceded by an introduction which begins with a re-evaluation of the sources which detail Arator’s life, in particular taking a fresh look at his relationship with his mentor Ennodius. There follow an examination of the poet’s aims, methods and inspirations and a discussion of his attitudes to heresies both past and present. The introduction ends with a ground-breaking examination of the ‘afterlife’ of Arator’s poem, mapping the extent of his influence, as evident in quotation and allusion, the copying of manuscripts, and inclusion in medieval libraries from the sixth century to the eleventh. Arator’s influence on several later authors, most notably the Venerable Bede, is explored in more detail in a number of appendixes. Arator’s combination of epic verse and mystical commentary was a heady and potent mix and ensured the poem’s popularity, not least among the monks of Anglo-Saxon England and the Carolingian continent.Trade Review'Richard Hillier delivers here an imposing work, richly documented and welcome in English scholarship on a poet whose fame medieval and literary complexity are no longer to be demonstrated and which therefore deserves to be better translated and commented to reveal the flavors of his subject.'Paul-Augustin Deproost, LatomusTranslated from French, 'Richard Hillier livre ici un travail imposant, richement documenté et bienvenu dans l’érudition anglophone sur un poète dont la renommée médiévale et la complexité littéraire ne sont plus à démontrer et qui mérite donc d’être de mieux en mieux traduit et commenté pour révéler les saveurs de son propos.''Hillier has done a magnificent job in making a relatively neglected text much more accessible… anyone interested in the rececption of the Acts of the Apostles, allegorical interpretation, or the development of the cult of Saints Peter and Paul will find much of interest to them here.' David Woods, The Journal of Theological Studies

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers the first fully scholarly translation into English of the Tale of Livistros and Rodamne, a love romance written around the middle of 13th century at the imperial court of Nicaea, at the time when Constantinople was still under Latin dominion. With its approximately 4700 verses, Livistros and Rodamne is the longest and the most artfully composed of the eight surviving Byzantine love romances. It was almost certainly written to be recited in front of an aristocratic audience by an educated poet experienced in the Greek tradition of erotic fiction, yet at the same time knowledgeable of the Medieval French and Persian romances of love and adventure. The poet has created a very 'modern' narrative filled with attractive episodes, including the only scene of demonic incantation in Byzantine fiction. The language of the romance is of a high poetic quality, challenging the translator at every step. Finally, Livistros and Rodamne is the only Byzantine romance that consistently constructs the Latin world of chivalry as an exotic setting, a type of occidentalism aiming to tame and to incorporate the Frankish Other in the social norms of the Byzantine Self after the Fall of Constantinople to the Latins in 1204.Trade Review'[The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne] is a fascinating text that will be of interest to a broad range of scholars including Byzantinists as well as anyone working on cross cultural literary and cultural interactions in the medieval Mediterranean.' Nicholas Morton, The Journal of Religious History, Literature & Culture'Agapitos captures every sound, rhythm, and movement with attention to the lyricism of the original language... The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne is a literary triumph and a solid step forward in the right direction in Byzantine and world literary studies.' Christina Christoforatou, Speculum‘Panagiotis Agapitos’ translation of the mid-thirteenth-century romance Livistros and Rodamne does justice to one of the great works of Byzantine literature through one of its great scholars. [Agapitos] restores the poetry to the poem, in terms of both its verse layout and the pleasures of its inventive diction and intricate structure.’ Adam J. Goldwyn, Byzantine and Modern Greek StudiesTable of ContentsPreface Introduction I. General issues 1. The genre of Byzantine romance 2. L&R in older scholarship 3. Textual history and editorial situation 4. Date, place of composition, primary audience II. Literary matters 1. A brief summary of L&R 2. Relation to the Komnenian and Ancient Greek novels 3. Relation to the Old French romances 4. Byzantine occidentalism? Exoticism in L&R 5. The ‘awe-inspiring mysteries’ of a poet’s art 6. Narrative and the organization of time 7. Narrative space and narrated spaces 8. L&R as an instruction manual on the ‘art of love’ 9. Eros, hybrid power and the politics of desire 10. Poetic language and the blended style in L&R III. The translation The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne Bibliography

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Book SynopsisJuvenal’s fifth and final book of Satires consists of three complete poems and one fragment and continues and completes his satirical assessment of the Rome of the early second century AD. The poems treat us to a scandalised exposure of folly and vice and also the voice of sweet reason as the poet advises us how to live our lives—all delivered in the hugely entertaining tones of a great master of the Latin language. There is here laugh-out-loud humour, razor-sharp descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome and also some of the most moving lines of this extraordinary poet. All four poems promote the value of human life and the need to accept our lives without worshipping the false gods of money, power or superstition. Satires 13 and 14 both deal with our need to use money without being enslaved by it, Satire 15 is an astonishing tour de force description of the cannibalism perpetrated in a vicious war in Egypt, while the final unfinished poem in the collection looks from a worm’s-eye view at the advantages enjoyed by men enlisted in the Praetorian guard.The Introduction sets Juvenal in the history of Roman Satire, explores the style of the poems and also asks how far they can be read as in any sense serious, given the ironic pose adopted by the satirist. The text is accompanied by a literal English translation and the commentary (which is keyed to important words in the translation and aims to be accessible to readers with little or no Latin) seeks to explain both the factual background to the poems and also the literary qualities which make this poetry exciting and moving to a modern audience.Trade Review'It is the task of the commentator to introduce, establish, explain and illustrate the text; these tasks are admirably handled here. [...] It is hard to imagine that [this edition] will need to be replaced before many years to come.' Colin Leach, Classics for AllTable of ContentsIntroductionText and TranslationCommentaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisJuvenal’s fifth and final book of Satires consists of three complete poems and one fragment and continues and completes his satirical assessment of the Rome of the early second century AD. The poems treat us to a scandalised exposure of folly and vice and also the voice of sweet reason as the poet advises us how to live our lives—all delivered in the hugely entertaining tones of a great master of the Latin language. There is here laugh-out-loud humour, razor-sharp descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome and also some of the most moving lines of this extraordinary poet. All four poems promote the value of human life and the need to accept our lives without worshipping the false gods of money, power or superstition. Satires 13 and 14 both deal with our need to use money without being enslaved by it, Satire 15 is an astonishing tour de force description of the cannibalism perpetrated in a vicious war in Egypt, while the final unfinished poem in the collection looks from a worm’s-eye view at the advantages enjoyed by men enlisted in the Praetorian guard.The Introduction sets Juvenal in the history of Roman Satire, explores the style of the poems and also asks how far they can be read as in any sense serious, given the ironic pose adopted by the satirist. The text is accompanied by a literal English translation and the commentary (which is keyed to important words in the translation and aims to be accessible to readers with little or no Latin) seeks to explain both the factual background to the poems and also the literary qualities which make this poetry exciting and moving to a modern audience.Trade Review'It is the task of the commentator to introduce, establish, explain and illustrate the text; these tasks are admirably handled here. [...] It is hard to imagine that [this edition] will need to be replaced before many years to come.' Colin Leach, Classics for AllTable of ContentsIntroductionText and TranslationCommentaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe 'De venenis' attributed to 'Malachias Hibernicus' is a portable discussion of vices and virtues. Probably composed about 1280, originally as an aid for Franciscan preachers, it adopts the innovative metaphor that sin is a poison removed by various 'treacles'. Its argumentative mode is to adduce scientific data about venomous beasts, the sins, and the antidotes to their poisons, the 'remedial' virtues. From these 'facts' of natural history, Malachy constructs homiletic similitudines (analogical figures). These, typically of a sort designed for use in sermones ad status, he applies to vicious and virtuous activities, and perhaps particularly ones peculiar to Ireland. Although Malachy the Irishman and his On Poison have received only a handful of scholarly notices in the last century, in the later Middle Ages, his was a widely known book. A lengthy introduction presents evidence for the wide circulation of Malachy's text and the little that is known of the author. It further addresses literary issues: the work's genre, hovering between a treatise on vices and virtues, a compendium of scientific information, and a handbook for preachers; Malachy's efforts at compilation of authoritative materials; and a preliminary account of some early users, including William Langland and Robert Holcot. The introduction concludes by examining the insuperable difficulties involved in editing the text. The centre of the volume presents an annotated preliminary text and translation, together with some account of early interpolations the text received. The volume concludes with three indexes, one with all biblical citations, one of all Malachy's other citations, and a third of Malachy's similitudines, his moralised scientific information.Trade Review‘Perhaps the greatest gift a longtime editor and skilled Latinist can leave for less experienced successors is a reliable edition and accurate translation of an influential text that they may not have encountered and cannot read as fluently. Hanna has given his colleagues exactly that.’ Edwin D. Craun, The Medieval Review‘Hanna’s book is the first edition of De veneno since 1518, and his excellent translation on facing pages makes the text easily accessible beyond a scholarly audience… This book belongs on the shelf of every medievalist and may also be of interest to many a lay person.’ Rüdiger Spahl, Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen

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Book SynopsisThese canons (or rules) for church organization and life and Christian morals issued at a council held in Constantinople in 691/2 form the foundation of Byzantine Canon Law. They show an intense concern to restore the proper discipline of clerical life after the chaos brought about by the Arab invasions. The rules for the laity show a concern to secure obedience to the Church’s rules about marriage, proper respect for sacred space, and the suppression of customs of pagan origin. Particular interest attaches to the canons that express disapproval of certain customs of the Western Church and of the Armenian Church. Was this an attempt to impose Byzantine hegemony, or simply a revulsion at customs that seemed wrong? The Byzantine emperor tried repeatedly to get the Pope to give the new canons the stamp of his approval; his failure marks an important stage in the mounting divergence between the Greek and the Roman Churches. The translation is accompanied by full annotation, while the introduction sets the council in its historical context, in both the history of the early medieval world and the development of Eastern Canon Law.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Council and its Setting 2. Eastern Canon Law and the Quinisext Council 3. The Message of the Canons 4. Justinian II and Armenia 5.The Roman Reaction 6. Later Reception in East and West 7. Manuscripts and Editions Date List of Canons, AD 314-870 The Headings of the Quinisext Canons List of the Quinisext Canons in Thematic Sequence The Conciliar Acts: Translation and Commentary The Address to the Emperor The Canons The Subscriptions Bibliography Maps Indices 1. Texts cited in the Acts 2. The Introduction

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Book SynopsisThe Findern Manuscript (Cambridge University Library, Ff.1.6): A New Edition of the Unique Poems is the first critical edition of the thirty-four unique and unattributed Middle English poems contained in Cambridge, University Library MS Ff.1.6. This collection of unique poems is significant for its size and thematic coherence, and for the insight it provides into regional literary culture, that of south Derbyshire, in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The poems, mainly short lyric texts, but also the narrative poem, The Parliament of Love, two topical complaints, and a romance known as the ‘Alexander-Cassamus Fragment’, are significant for the evidence they provide for creative responses to the metropolitan literature of previous generations, especially to the works of Chaucer, Gower, Hoccleve and Lydgate. The poems explore a range of amatory, religious and philosophical themes in a variety of lyric forms and genres. Their anonymity and experimentation with lyric voice and style make them an important site for exploring the contribution of women, as well as men, to late medieval regional literary culture.

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Book SynopsisDemosthenes’ oration On the Chersonese is a masterpiece of rhetorical brilliance and contains some of the best examples of his skill as a political orator, coming as one of his final surviving speeches in the corpus. It was delivered to the Athenians in 341 BC, at a time of turbulent events when Athens was coming under increasing pressure resulting from the actions of Philip of Macedon. The Chersonese was a region of great importance for Athens. At the time of the speech, Philip was in the middle of an extensive military and diplomatic campaign in Thrace that would threaten the security of the Athenian grain trade from the Black Sea. The resulting pressure in the Chersonese, however, was seen by Demosthenes as an attempt by Philip to weaken Athens as a prelude to taking the whole of Greece. In this context he argued in the speech that the general Diopeithes, who had been sent out to the Chersonese in 346 with a naval force, be supported in the face of protest from Philip regarding Diopeithes’ actions in the wider area. He focuses on Athenian relations with Philip in this crucial northern region and why Philip was a threat to Athenian interests in the area. This edition with Greek text, translation and commentary contains the first detailed commentary on this speech. The introduction explains the historical background in some detail, as well as examining Demosthenes’ deliberative oratory, the structure and style of the speech, and relationship to the speeches that followed, including the famous Third Philippic. The commentary focuses on all political, military, social and religious references presented by Demosthenes, as well as oratorical aspects.Table of ContentsIntroductionText and translationCommentaryAppendicesMapsIndex

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Book SynopsisOedipus Tyrannus by the great tragedian Sophocles is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek literature. The play has always been admired for the tight unity of its plot; every bit of every scene counts towards the dramatic effect. The action is concentrated into a single day in Oedipus’ life; his heinous crimes of unwittingly killing his father and marrying his mother all lie long ago in the past, and now, in the action of this one day, there awaits for him only the discovery of the truth. Oedipus is portrayed as a noble king, deeply devoted to his people and they to him. Proud of his earlier defeat of the Sphinx, he is determined to save his city once again, and he unflinchingly pursues the truth of who he is and what he has done, unaware that it will bring him to disaster. The spectators, familiar with Oedipus’ story, wait in horrified suspense for that terrible moment of realisation to arrive. And when it does, Oedipus survives it: he takes full responsibility for what he has done, accepts the grief and the pain, and carries on, remaining indomitable to the end. Sophocles gives no answer as to why Oedipus is made to suffer his tragic fate. He simply shows us how human life is; how even a great and good man can be brought to the utmost misery through no fault of his own. The gods may, for no apparent reason, deal out unbelievable suffering, but humankind can survive it. Jenny March’s new facing-page translation brings alive the power and complexities of Sophocles’ writing, with a substantial introduction and a detailed commentary.Trade Review‘For incisive comment and sharp analysis (as well as obvious enthusiasm for this play), M. is very hard to beat and also refreshingly easy to read.’ John Godwin, Classics for All ‘All in all, this is a lovely introduction to Oedipus the King for intermediate-level Greek students... The copious references to scholarship and the window into textual criticism will also open students’ eyes and prepare them for further work. March gives us a strong, intelligent, caring Oedipus and shows us how Sophocles dramatizes his story.' Anne Mahoney, Bryn Mawr Classical Review‘Jenny March returns to Sophocles with an edition of Oedipus Tyrannus. The lucidity, enthusiasm, and passionate commitment to the value of Hellenic studies which characterised her previous edition are all evident in this new volume… this is a reliable and stimulating introduction to Sophocles’ great play which teachers and pupils should feel confident using. And what comes across throughout – as it does from all of March’s works – is her passion for Greek literature and myth, her commitment to the value of learning about ancient Greek culture.’ P. J. Finglass, Exemplaria Classica

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Book SynopsisOedipus Tyrannus by the great tragedian Sophocles is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek literature. The play has always been admired for the tight unity of its plot; every bit of every scene counts towards the dramatic effect. The action is concentrated into a single day in Oedipus’ life; his heinous crimes of unwittingly killing his father and marrying his mother all lie long ago in the past, and now, in the action of this one day, there awaits for him only the discovery of the truth. Oedipus is portrayed as a noble king, deeply devoted to his people and they to him. Proud of his earlier defeat of the Sphinx, he is determined to save his city once again, and he unflinchingly pursues the truth of who he is and what he has done, unaware that it will bring him to disaster. The spectators, familiar with Oedipus’ story, wait in horrified suspense for that terrible moment of realisation to arrive. And when it does, Oedipus survives it: he takes full responsibility for what he has done, accepts the grief and the pain, and carries on, remaining indomitable to the end. Sophocles gives no answer as to why Oedipus is made to suffer his tragic fate. He simply shows us how human life is; how even a great and good man can be brought to the utmost misery through no fault of his own. The gods may, for no apparent reason, deal out unbelievable suffering, but humankind can survive it. Jenny March’s new facing-page translation brings alive the power and complexities of Sophocles’ writing, with a substantial introduction and a detailed commentary.Trade Review‘For incisive comment and sharp analysis (as well as obvious enthusiasm for this play), M. is very hard to beat and also refreshingly easy to read.’ John Godwin, Classics for All ‘All in all, this is a lovely introduction to Oedipus the King for intermediate-level Greek students... The copious references to scholarship and the window into textual criticism will also open students’ eyes and prepare them for further work. March gives us a strong, intelligent, caring Oedipus and shows us how Sophocles dramatizes his story.' Anne Mahoney, Bryn Mawr Classical Review‘Jenny March returns to Sophocles with an edition of Oedipus Tyrannus. The lucidity, enthusiasm, and passionate commitment to the value of Hellenic studies which characterised her previous edition are all evident in this new volume… this is a reliable and stimulating introduction to Sophocles’ great play which teachers and pupils should feel confident using. And what comes across throughout – as it does from all of March’s works – is her passion for Greek literature and myth, her commitment to the value of learning about ancient Greek culture.’ P. J. Finglass, Exemplaria Classica

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Book SynopsisThe Chronicle of the Logothete covers the period from the Creation of the World to the burial of emperor Romanos I Lekapenos in the summer of 948 AD. If we deduce a medieval text’s importance and success from the number of extant manuscripts, this work must score highly. While some medieval chronicles have come down to us in only one manuscript, about thirty manuscripts transmit the Chronicle of the Logothete in its main form, and there are also manuscripts containing different kinds of elaborated versions of the text. Also, the chronicle was translated into Old Slavonic at least twice. In spite of the work’s popularity, the chronicler himself remains obscure. It has been suggested that this could be Symeon Metaphrastes, an illustrious Byzantine literate who collected and edited, or wrote, Saints’ Lives. However, fairly certain is only that the final compilation of the text was made in the second half of the tenth century, and there seems to be a pro-Lekapenian bias and an antipathy towards the Macedonian dynasty. This volume is based on the translator's 2006 edition of the text and constitutes the first translation ever into English.Trade ReviewReviews'The importance of this chronicle cannot be overstressed: for us it is the most important Byzantine history for the hundred years after Theophanes, who covered up to the early ninth century. It is a great historical and historiographical read, too.' Adrian Spooner, Classics for All‘A very careful and useful translation that will contribute to the knowledge of Byzantine historiography among medievalists and the general public.’ Juan Signes Codoñer, The Byzantine Review ‘The book can be recommended as a useful working tool for capturing this important text, not only byzantinists, but also by historians without restrictions, because of the excellent translation, which is enriched by the philological commentary.’ Raphael Brendel, Sehepunkte

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together a variety of studies, some reprinted, some new; all are devoted to the literate culture of the English later Middle Ages. The studies hover about four foci: normative English polylingualism (across three grammatically distinct languages); the messiness and discontinuities of medieval manuscript production; drawing conclusions about historical audiences/literary communities on the basis of book-evidence; and finally, the Middle English poem Piers Plowman. In general, although all the essays here arrive at broad conclusions, their point is other. The essays exemplify methods of study, the identification of problems and the recognition of tools appropriate or helpful in addressing them. Perhaps particularly the volume gestures toward a range of skills appropriate for the task; these range from narrow observation of book-production techniques to bringing a local historical record to bear on an individual volume or group of them.Trade Review‘Patient Reading constitutes a major contribution to book history. It also offers a sustained reflection on the reading practices that might best illuminate medieval texts […] Patient Reading presents a rich compendium of material, the fruit of Hanna’s own “patient . . . absorption” in the medieval archive (8). It also makes some stimulating and consequential claims about the creative, polylingual, exegetical practices that gave shape to medieval sermons and to medieval poems.’Alastair Bennett, Modern Philology'Running alongside the erudition of this volume, there is a basic humility and unashamed bookishness that again points towards Hanna's implicit ideological position that historical literacy scholarship is worthwhile in and of itself.' Ian Felce, Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen‘These separate studies are thick with historical and cultural detail, descriptive analysis, and codicological argument, and signpost many untrodden avenues for further research while also offering precise and informative discoveries.’ Margaret Connolly, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval StudiesTable of ContentsAbbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction [I] Language Barriers 1. Literacy, Schooling, Universities 2.Vernacular Exegesis in Fourteenth-Century England? 3.Lambeth Palace Library, MS 260 and the Problem of English Vernacularity 4.Editing 'Middle English Lyrics': The Case of Candet nudatum pectus 5.Performing Exegesis: Lyric and Sermon in Cambridge University Library, MS Gg.6.26 [II] Nasty Books: Collection Procedures 6.Lambeth Palace Library, MS 487: Some Problems of Early Thirteenth-Century Textual Transmission 7.Producing Magdalen College MS lat. 93 8.A Fifteenth-Century Vernacular Miscellany Revisited 9.Humphrey Newton and Bodleian Library, MS Lat. misc. c.66 [III] Historicising the Archive 10.Yorkshire Writers 11.Some North Yorkshire Scribes and Their Context 12.Dr Peter Partridge and Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 98 13.John of Wales and 'Classicising Friars' [IV] Still Harping On – Reading(:) Patience in Piers Plowman An Ideological Prequel Prologue: Langland's Kind of Poetry 1. On Patience 2. Conscience's Dinner 3. Hawkin and Patience's Instruction 4. The C Version Revisions Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThese canons (or rules) for church organization and life and Christian morals issued at a council held in Constantinople in 691/2 form the foundation of Byzantine Canon Law. They show an intense concern to restore the proper discipline of clerical life after the chaos brought about by the Arab invasions. The rules for the laity show a concern to secure obedience to the Church’s rules about marriage, proper respect for sacred space, and the suppression of customs of pagan origin. Particular interest attaches to the canons that express disapproval of certain customs of the Western Church and of the Armenian Church. Was this an attempt to impose Byzantine hegemony, or simply a revulsion at customs that seemed wrong? The Byzantine emperor tried repeatedly to get the Pope to give the new canons the stamp of his approval; his failure marks an important stage in the mounting divergence between the Greek and the Roman Churches. The translation is accompanied by full annotation, while the introduction sets the council in its historical context, in both the history of the early medieval world and the development of Eastern Canon Law.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Council and its Setting 2. Eastern Canon Law and the Quinisext Council 3. The Message of the Canons 4. Justinian II and Armenia 5.The Roman Reaction 6. Later Reception in East and West 7. Manuscripts and Editions Date List of Canons, AD 314-870 The Headings of the Quinisext Canons List of the Quinisext Canons in Thematic Sequence The Conciliar Acts: Translation and Commentary The Address to the Emperor The Canons The Subscriptions Bibliography Maps Indices 1. Texts cited in the Acts 2. The Introduction

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Book SynopsisDemosthenes’ oration On the Chersonese is a masterpiece of rhetorical brilliance and contains some of the best examples of his skill as a political orator, coming as one of his final surviving speeches in the corpus. It was delivered to the Athenians in 341 BC, at a time of turbulent events when Athens was coming under increasing pressure resulting from the actions of Philip of Macedon. The Chersonese was a region of great importance for Athens. At the time of the speech, Philip was in the middle of an extensive military and diplomatic campaign in Thrace that would threaten the security of the Athenian grain trade from the Black Sea. The resulting pressure in the Chersonese, however, was seen by Demosthenes as an attempt by Philip to weaken Athens as a prelude to taking the whole of Greece. In this context he argued in the speech that the general Diopeithes, who had been sent out to the Chersonese in 346 with a naval force, be supported in the face of protest from Philip regarding Diopeithes’ actions in the wider area. He focuses on Athenian relations with Philip in this crucial northern region and why Philip was a threat to Athenian interests in the area. This edition with Greek text, translation and commentary contains the first detailed commentary on this speech. The introduction explains the historical background in some detail, as well as examining Demosthenes’ deliberative oratory, the structure and style of the speech, and relationship to the speeches that followed, including the famous Third Philippic. The commentary focuses on all political, military, social and religious references presented by Demosthenes, as well as oratorical aspects.Table of ContentsIntroductionText and translationCommentaryAppendicesMapsIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book offers the first critical edition with an English translation and commentary on some of the letters attributed to Alexander and transmitted by mainly Plutarch and Arrian. The vast majority of the texts examined here are constituted by Alexander’s 'private' letters, but the book also includes some letters regarded as official. Thirty-four letters are included, although there are many more letters allegedly written by Alexander, which are definitely forgeries. The doubts about the letters mostly come from the fact that the Romance of Alexander is considered a sort of epistolary novel, thus it has been argued that at some point a collection of Alexander’s letters was put together, containing a nucleus of genuine letters, but also expanded with forgeries. This volume attempts to isolate the letters which are regarded as authentic by the majority of modern scholars, with each letter followed by an outline of previous scholarly discussion of its authenticity. The book brings to wider attention a much-neglected corpus by employing an innovative approach. The traditional study of epistolography tends to focus on literary rather than historical aspects of the genre, whereas this book, by exploring the culture behind the action of writing at Alexander’s court and the diverse approaches in relation to the letters, suggests that different criteria and new ways of writing history, prompted by Eastern standards, were introduced at his court. Furthermore, the collection shows that the step Alexander made, when he assumed the title of Great King, had formal and cultural implications. Finally, the book discusses the provenance of the letters, especially who among the historians contemporary with Alexander knew and handed the letters down.Trade Review"Giustina Monti’s edition of Alexander’s Letters is a really important contribution to scholarship. These letters, preserved largely by Plutarch and Arrian, cover a wide range of topics: angry ripostes to the Persian king Darius, reports on battles to Antipater back at home, more or less chatty letters to his friends, even one to his mother telling her what he was told at the oracle of Siwah. Some seem pretty clearly to be inauthentic - not forgeries, perhaps, but rather later literary exercises; some though give every impression of being genuine and containing good, hard information... If she is right, they become an immensely valuable resource for sifting some truth from the morass of Alexander legend.” Christopher Pelling FBA, Emeritus Regius Professor of Greek, University of Oxford"The careful evaluation of each letter in Monti’s selection makes her book a new work of reference on its subject... she has not only breathed new life and insight into a knotty problem in Alexander Quellenforschung, but also has fashioned a desirable tool for anyone working in depth on Alexander-history." Tony Spawforth, Classics for AllTable of ContentsIntroductionText with facing-page translationCommentaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis is the second volume of a collection which includes all the significant remains of tragedies produced by the contemporaries and successors of the three classic Greek tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides). Greek texts and sources are accompanied by English translations, related historical information, detailed explanatory notes and bibliographies. Volume Two includes more than a dozen poets of the fourth and early third centuries (Astydamas, Carcinus, Chaeremon, Theodectas, Moschion and others), the Alexandrian Pleiad, Ezechiel’s Exagôgê (a tragedy based on the biblical Exodus), and some anonymous material derived from ancient sources or rediscovered papyrus texts. Remnants of the satyr-plays of this period are included in a separate Aris & Phillips Classical Texts volume, Euripides Cyclops and Major Fragments of Greek Satyric Drama, edited by Patrick O’Sullivan and Christopher Collard (2013).Trade Review‘Cropp offers an effective overview of what we know of Greek tragedy from the fourth century onwards… the commentary, concise and fluent but at the same time punctual and not without original suggestions, allow one easy use of the text even for those who do not have specialist knowledge on the subject.’ Paolo B. Cipolla, Exemplaria Classica (translated from Italian)

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Book SynopsisThe three poems (Satires 7, 8 and 9) that comprise Book 3 of the Satires form a brilliant collection, displaying Juvenal at the height of his powers and in the full breadth of his interests. Satire 7 takes a jaundiced look at intellectual life in Rome, bemoaning the financial poverty which is the lot of the writer, the lawyer and the teacher in an age where patrons may shower them with praise but rarely with cash. Satire 8 is an excoriating account of the old ‘noble’ families and how their current representatives are anything but noble in their behaviour both at home and in the provinces. The scandalous Satire 9 returns to the theme of patronage in a superbly acid dialogue with a certain Naevolus who has served his patron sexually and who now complains of the poor returns for his extensive and energetic labours. All three poems purport to describe and to critique Roman society, but they do so with an irony which draws attention to the medium as well as the message and which makes the speaker of the poetry often the target of his own abuse. This is the first edition of Book 3 as a unit by itself and the first edition intended for students with limited knowledge of Latin. The introduction sets the scene for the text and gathers background information on a range of essential topics pertinent to the text. The commentary as well as dealing with textual transmission, the metre, the factual background and advanced points of stylistic interest also aims to impart something of the pleasure and interest to be gained from reading this sublimely skilful poetry.Trade Review‘This most welcome edition… should be useful for the experienced Latinist while offering a translation that is fluent and with enough exegesis to convey Juvenal’s meaning, tone and style for the non-Latinist.’ Alan Beale, Classics for All‘Godwin’s translation is an enjoyable read that makes Juvenal’s challenging language pleasurable… Godwin’s terse and lively style, which runs effortlessly through the key concepts of the poet’s work, is a great asset.’ Marta M. Perilli, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers the first fully scholarly translation into English of the Tale of Livistros and Rodamne, a love romance written around the middle of 13th century at the imperial court of Nicaea, at the time when Constantinople was still under Latin dominion. With its approximately 4700 verses, Livistros and Rodamne is the longest and the most artfully composed of the eight surviving Byzantine love romances. It was almost certainly written to be recited in front of an aristocratic audience by an educated poet experienced in the Greek tradition of erotic fiction, yet at the same time knowledgeable of the Medieval French and Persian romances of love and adventure. The poet has created a very 'modern' narrative filled with attractive episodes, including the only scene of demonic incantation in Byzantine fiction. The language of the romance is of a high poetic quality, challenging the translator at every step. Finally, Livistros and Rodamne is the only Byzantine romance that consistently constructs the Latin world of chivalry as an exotic setting, a type of occidentalism aiming to tame and to incorporate the Frankish Other in the social norms of the Byzantine Self after the Fall of Constantinople to the Latins in 1204.Trade Review'[The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne] is a fascinating text that will be of interest to a broad range of scholars including Byzantinists as well as anyone working on cross cultural literary and cultural interactions in the medieval Mediterranean.' Nicholas Morton, The Journal of Religious History, Literature & Culture'Agapitos captures every sound, rhythm, and movement with attention to the lyricism of the original language... The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne is a literary triumph and a solid step forward in the right direction in Byzantine and world literary studies.' Christina Christoforatou, Speculum‘Panagiotis Agapitos’ translation of the mid-thirteenth-century romance Livistros and Rodamne does justice to one of the great works of Byzantine literature through one of its great scholars. [Agapitos] restores the poetry to the poem, in terms of both its verse layout and the pleasures of its inventive diction and intricate structure.’ Adam J. Goldwyn, Byzantine and Modern Greek StudiesTable of ContentsPreface Introduction I. General issues 1. The genre of Byzantine romance 2. L&R in older scholarship 3. Textual history and editorial situation 4. Date, place of composition, primary audience II. Literary matters 1. A brief summary of L&R 2. Relation to the Komnenian and Ancient Greek novels 3. Relation to the Old French romances 4. Byzantine occidentalism? Exoticism in L&R 5. The ‘awe-inspiring mysteries’ of a poet’s art 6. Narrative and the organization of time 7. Narrative space and narrated spaces 8. L&R as an instruction manual on the ‘art of love’ 9. Eros, hybrid power and the politics of desire 10. Poetic language and the blended style in L&R III. The translation The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBooks V-VI of Julius Caesar’s The Gallic War narrate Caesar’s campaigns in Britain, Gaul, and Germany in 55 and 54 BCE. His political rival Pompey was at the height of his popularity in Rome, making it all the more incumbent upon Caesar to deliver exciting news of victories. Book V should have been the tale of triumphant conquest in Britain, but Caesar’s campaign was underwhelming; Caesar the politician and general thus needed assistance from Caesar the author. In Books V and VI Caesar masterfully compensates for the lacklustre British campaign with a dramatic account of his forceful suppression of Ambiorix’s revolt and new incursions into Germany; the narrative is further enlivened with speeches and digressions on the Britons, Germans, and the wonders of the Hercynian Forest. This English translation faithfully represents the clarity and precision of Caesar’s Latin while also conveying the drama of Caesar’s narrative in a voice that modern readers will find lively and accessible. A substantial introduction orients the reader to the historical and literary context of The Gallic War as well as to the complicated political and authorial career of Julius Caesar. The commentary covers topics of historical, literary, and linguistic interest, providing support to readers of both the English and Latin texts.

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Book SynopsisThe Boke of Gostely Grace is the anonymous Middle English version of the Liber specialis gratiae by the German visionary Mechthild of Hackeborn (1241–1298). The original Liber, compiled at the convent of Helfta in Saxony, presents Mechthild’s visions as she experienced them in the liturgy of the Christian year. Her famous visions of the Sacred Heart follow, along with instructions on the religious life in community and her visions of the afterlife. The Middle English version adapts the text to a new fifteenth-century audience, probably a Birgittine community such as the newly founded Syon Abbey on the Thames near London; it emphasises imagery of the dance of the liturgy, the vineyard and the Sacred Heart in new and vivid terms, while other aspects, such as the bridal imagery, are played down. Within a generation, the English text had become popular among the nobility, and stimulated lay piety and private prayer. While scholars have traced the influence and reception of many continental European women writers, Mechthild’s revelations have often escaped their attention, through the lack of suitable editions. This edition of Bodley 220, the manuscript written in the London area, includes introduction, commentary and glossary, and breaks new ground in the study of late medieval vernacular translation and women’s literary culture.

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Book SynopsisImperial Panegyric from Diocletian to Honorius examines one of the most important literatures of the late Roman period – speeches of praise addressed to the reigning emperor – and the panegyrical culture of the late Roman world more generally. Unlike much previous work on this topic, Imperial Panegyric takes a consciously comparative approach, especially between eastern and western, Greek and Latin texts.Each contributor draws upon evidence taken from multiple authors or from different kinds of panegyric in order to explore both the communal and the particular in this most idiosyncratic of media. The volume investigates to what extent there was a unified concept of imperial panegyric, and how local circumstances shaped individual speeches. It also considers the ways in which traditional forms of praise-giving respond to fourth-century phenomena such as the expansion of Christianity, collegial rulership, and the decline of Rome as the political centre of the empire. Its contributors include a roster of some of the most important names in the field of panegyric studies, both established researchers and the rising stars of the new generation.Trade Review‘The questions of how late-antique panegyric was interpreted, and should be interpreted, remain at the heart of our understanding of late-antique political culture.’ Richard Flower, Acta Classica 'Across [Imperial Panegyric from Diocletian to Honorius], there is a consistently high standard, and the different analyses enrich and extend the range of approaches from the definition of panegyric as a genre to the weight given in some panegyrics to women, to Christianity and to barbarians'Marzia Fiorentini, The Classical ReviewThe volume... offers a good starting point for further research into late antique panegyric... It not only shows which works need to be studied in more detail and which questions are still open, but also which possibilities exist to solve these problems.Raphael Brendel, Zeitschrift für GeschichtswissenschaftTranslated from German, 'Der Band... er einen guten Ansatzpunkt für die weitere Erforschung der spätantiken Panegyrik... Er zeigt nicht nur auf, welche Werke ausführlichererund welche Fragen noch offen sind, sondern auch, welche Möglichkeiten bestehen, um diese um diese Probleme.''This is a very worthwhile study to read. It both instructs readers with some general outlines and encourages them to consider several interesting key details of panegyric of Late Antiquity.' Felix Maier, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'The anthology offers something for many, whether one wants to pursue specific individual topics or also want to gain an overall impression of late antique panegyric, beyond the much-examined collection of the Panegyrici Latini.' Ulrich Lambrecht, PlekosTable of Contents1. Imperial Panegyric from Diocletian to HonoriusAdrastos Omissi & Alan J. RossPANEGYRIC: THEORY AND PRACTICE2. What is a ‘panegyric’?Laurent Pernot3. (Not) Making Faces: Prosopopeia in Late Antique PanegyricRoger Rees4. Libanius’ Imperial Speech to Constantius II and Constans (Or. 59): Context, Tradition, and InnovationGrammatiki KarlaTHE IMPERIAL IMAGE5. Playing with Conventions in Julian’s Encomium to Eusebia: Does Gender Make a Difference?Belinda Washington6. Julian and Claudius Mamertinus: Panegyric and Polemic in East and West Shaun TougherTHE ORATOR AND ORATORIAL IDENTITY7. How to Praise a Christian Emperor: The Panegyrical Experiments of Eusebius of CaesareaJames Corke-Webster8. Neoplatonic Philosophy in Tetrarchic and Constantinian PanegyricDiederik Burgersdijk9. Roman and Gallic in the Latin Panegyrics of Symmachus and AusoniusRobert ChenaultOUTSIDERS WITHIN THE SPEECH10. Civil War and the Late Roman Panegyrical CorpusAdrastos Omissi11. Inviting the Enemy in: Assimilating Barbarians in Theodosian PanegyricRobert Stone12. The Audience in Imperial PanegyricAlan J. RossAppendix: Editions, Translations and Commentaries of Imperial Panegyrics

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Book SynopsisThemistius and Valens offers the first complete English translation and analysis of Themistius’ speeches for or on behalf of the emperor Valens (r. 364-378). As a westerner and a Latin speaker, Valens had a tough job to convince the aristocracies of Constantinople and the East that he shared their expectations and knew how to preserve their wealth and security. By 364 Themistius already enjoyed huge influence. He was famous as a philosopher who was ‘an exceptional citizen’, and his leadership of the dramatic expansion of the senate in 359 gave him the best address book in town. His ambition and political sense made him a perfect ally for communicating imperial policy and action. These speeches present the major issues Valens faced: his right to rule alongside the western emperor, his brother Valentinian, his handling of the revolt of Procopius, his ability to manage the empire’s economy and borders, his wars against the Goths and the Persians, his controversial religious and judicial policies, and the clever diplomatic work Themistius undertook for him in the lead up to his death in battle in 378.Trade Review'Among those volumes known to the reviewer of the Translated Texts for Historians series this one is without a doubt amongst the best.' Raphael Brendel, Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft Translated from German, 'Unter den dem Rezensenten bekannten nicht wenigen verdienstvollen Bänden der Reihe „Translated Texts for Historians“ gehört dieser ohne Zweifel zu den besten.''Swain fulfilled the aim expressed in the introduction, making the volume an indispensable work for all those interested in “the political history of the key transitional period of the 360s and 370s.' Simone Mehr, Bryn Mawr Classical Review'This is a fantastic book that offers the reader an easy and yet detailed and erudite overview of the subtle chains of policy, obligation, and ambition that bound Themistius to Valens and Valens to Themistius... For anyone with an interest in Themistius, in Valens, or in the East Roman Empire in the mid fourth century, it is a must read.' Adrastos Omissi, Plekos

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Book SynopsisIn 1234, four mendicant friars arrived in the Byzantine city of Nicaea to discuss the possibility of a union between the Greek and Roman Churches. The controversy over the specific differences in both doctrine and practice had taken on a new urgency in the thirteenth century. The Fourth Crusade in 1204 placed the Byzantine capital of Constantinople under Latin control, creating an atmosphere of nearly continuous conflict, and yet the two sides agreed to meet in hopes of a peaceful settlement. Presented in translation for the first time, the report of those friars describing the discussions, or disputatio, of 1234 illuminates the full spectrum of motivations and implications surrounding the prospect of church union in the years following the Fourth Crusade. The letters exchanged by Pope Gregory IX and Patriarch Germanos II demonstrate the terms under which both sides entered the negotiations with a notable degree of optimism. Brought together, these sources represent the largest collection of material describing any dialogue between the churches in the thirteenth century. Translation and analysis of these sources call into question the long-held view that attempts to end the schism of the churches were perpetually doomed to fail.Trade Review‘This monograph is handsomely produced, and its subject matter will appeal to students of ecumenical dialogue between the Greek and the Latin worlds in the early 1230s, bringing readers up-to-date with research in the last century. The volume will also interest historians of the Dominicans and Franciscans, whom Gregory IX and his successors increasingly appointed as messengers.’ Michael Robson, Archivum Franciscanum Historicum

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Book SynopsisThis is not a commentary on Juvenal Satire 10 but a critical appreciation of the poem which examines it on its own and in context and tries to make it come alive as a piece of literature, offering one man’s close reading of Satire 10 as poetry, and concerned with literary criticism rather than philological minutiae. In line with the recent broadening of insight into Juvenal’s writing this book often addresses the issues of distortion and problematizing and covers style, sound and diction as well. Much time is also devoted to intertextuality and to humour, wit and irony. Building on the work of scholars like Martyn, Jenkyns and Schmitz, who see in Juvenal a consistently skilful and sophisticated author, this is a whole book demonstrating a high level of expertise on Juvenal’s part sustained throughout; a long poem (rather than intermittent flashes). This investigation of 10 leads to the conclusion that Juvenal is an accomplished poet and provocative satirist, a writer with real focus, who makes every word count, and a final chapter exploring Satires 11 and 12 confirms that assessment. Translation of the Latin and explanation of references are included so that Classics students will find the book easier to use and it will also be accessible to scholars and students interested in satire outside of Classics departments.Trade ReviewReviews 'A meticulous, sophisticated, and humane treatment, designed for undergraduates, of Juvenal’s thought and poetic craft in his Satire 10.' Dr Ian Goh, University of Exeter'This would be a very good book to put into the hands of somebody who is coming to the text of Juvenal for the first time and wants to see what all the fuss is about. Murgatroyd tells us that this book is aimed at ‘senior undergraduates and above’, but in fact his language is at all times accessible to anybody with an interest in the subject-matter—all Latin is well translated into fluent English and the author’s style can even be chatty and light-hearted to suit the highly unsolemn nature of some of the Latin under discussion.' John Godwin, Classics for All

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Book SynopsisRobert Holcot (d. 1349) was a Dominican friar, most prominently connected with the convent in Oxford where he became a Doctor of Theology. Holcot is perhaps most famous today, following an important discussion by Heiko Obermann in the 1960s, for his 'semi-Pelagian' theological views. In contrast to traditional Augustinianism, he believed that God granted salvation to individuals on the basis of 'bonum quod in se est', that is, on the basis of an individual's intention to do good, rather than any achievement. While historians of theology know Holcot in these terms, his wide medieval reputation was rather different. Holcot was read all over Europe as an exegete, an explicator of biblical texts, especially the Old Testament sapiential books. This volume presents a selection, nearly a quarter of the whole, from Holcot's readings in the minor prophets, originally delivered in the 1330s as lectures in Oxford's Dominican studium. In a commentary appended to the text, it uses these selections to offer a view of exegesis, and of Holcot's strategies, that differs from customary scholarship on the topic. The commentary attempts to clarify the relation between Holcot's usually tacit discussion (a feature perhaps driven by the fact that the received text represents a reportatio or outline, not a stenographic transcription) and the biblical text at hand. It further addresses some argumentative features, principally Holcot's use of narrative and of imagistic distinctiones. The volume is fully annotated, with a facing-page translation, numerous references to analogous discussions elsewhere in Holcot (including his classic Super Sapientiam Salamonis), and full indexes of Holcot's biblical references, his parallel treatments, and his sources.

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Book SynopsisPearl is a moving elegy written in the late fourteenth century, in which a grief-stricken narrator struggles to come to terms with the death of his baby daughter. He meets her, now transformed into a beautiful young lady, in a dream, where she attempts to bring him to understand the place of death in the divine plan, and where he is granted a sight of the heavenly Jerusalem. Pearl is celebrated as a jewel among medieval poems, although it is the most challenging of the four works by the anonymous author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.This new critical edition is designed to offer the maximum support for the reader of the poem. The text is accompanied by a close translation, and each of the twenty sections of the poem is provided with an introductory headnote as well as a running commentary. A general introduction supplies the necessary background information, on manuscript and authorship, form and structure, sources and influences, style, vocabulary and verse-form. The bibliography selects the most significant of the extensive critical studies. Written for both the specialist and the general reader, this book is an essential guide to this profound and complex poem. Designed as a replacement for E. V. Gordon’s standard edition of 1953 this is the only edition of Pearl to be accompanied by a literal translation and a full literary commentary and is the fruit of the author's 40 years of teaching medieval literature.

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Book SynopsisEbook available to libraries exclusively as part of the JSTOR Path to Open initiative. The Romans claimed to have invented satireone of the most enduring and certainly one of the most entertaining genres of literature bequeathed to posterity from the ancient world. Modern satire aims generally to puncture pretence and to hurt its targets with withering caricature and bruising irony, but Roman satire was not so easy to characterise. One of the earliest exponents (Lucilius) went in for some personal invective and set the tone for many a 21st-century scribbler keen to wound his enemies with well-chosen words, but later writers in the Roman tradition distanced themselves from the tradition of personal critique and were reluctant to paint themselves as in any sense attack-dogs. If they were inveighing against folly and vice, it was (they claimed) more in a spirit of positive encouragement to us all to live better and happier lives, freed from the shackles of character-flaws and absurd be

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