Ancient, classical and medieval texts Books

Book SynopsisAn exploration of how the image and idea of the dragon has evolved through historyHow did the dragon get its wings? Everyone in the modern West has a clear idea of what a dragon looks like and of the sorts of stories it inhabits, not least devotees of the fantasies of J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and George R. R. Martin. A cross between a snake and some fearsome mammal, often sporting colossal wings, they live in caves, lie on treasure, maraud, and breathe fire. They are extraordinarily powerful, but even so, ultimately defeated in their battles with humans. What is the origin of this creature? The Dragon in the West is the first serious and substantial account in any language of the evolution of the modern dragon from its ancient forebears. Daniel Ogden''s detailed exploration begins with the drakon of Greek myth and the draco of the dragon-loving Romans, and a look at the ancient world''s female dragons. It brings the story forwards though Christian writings, medieval illustrated manuscripts, and the lives of dragon-duelling saints, before concluding with a study of dragons found in the medieval Germanic world, including those of the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and the Norse sagas.Trade Reviewan impressive achievement * Scott G. Bruce, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *The Dragon in the West is a more orderly scrutinizing of the development of dragon myths and legends in Europe...This is a truly compendious volume that lays out its argument and evidence clearly, with appendices, tables, and explanatory footnotes. It also usefully provides many sources, which are all translated into English. * Greece & Rome *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One: Heroes 1: Drak=on: The Classical Dragon 2: Draco: The Roman Dragon 3: Drakaina: The She-dragon 4: From Worm to Wyvern: The Evolution of the Western Dragon Part Two: Saints 5: Scripture and Shape 6: The Etiquette of the Saintly Dragon Fight (i): Its Principal Narrative Course 7: The Etiquette of the Saintly Dragon Fight (ii): Some Important Narrative Subroutines 8: Close to the Point of Origin: Lucian's Chaldaean Snake-blaster 9: Theodore and George: Two Military Saints in Context Part Three: Vikings 10: Worms (Still) and Wyverns: The Form of the Germanic Dragon 11: To the River and Back: The Etiquette of the Germanic Dragon Fight Conclusion

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Book SynopsisSeventy-seven tales of the supernatural, intended to frighten and excite and bring to heel their medieval audience, gathered from medieval chronicles, sagas, heroic poetry and romances. Strongly recommended. M R JAMES NEWSLETTER Stories of restless spirits returning from the afterlife are as old as storytelling. In medieval Europe ghosts, nightstalkers and unearthly visitors from parallel worlds had beenin circulation since before the coming of Christianity. Here is a collection of ghostly encounters from medieval romances, monastic chronicles, sagas and heroic poetry. These tales bore a peculiar freight of spooks and spirituality which can still make the hair stand on end. Look at the story of Richard Rowntree's stillborn child, glimpsed by his father tangled in swaddling clothes on the road to Santiago, or the sly habits of water sprites restingas golden rings on the surface of the river, just out of reach. The writer and broadcaster Andrew Joynes brings together a vivid selection of these tales, with a thoughtful commentary that puts them in context and lays bare the layers of meaning in them.Trade Review(Reviewd together with 'Medieval Comic Tales') Both make a delightful contribution to our understanding and mapping of those mental landscapes. They also allowed me to see the physical medieval landscape differently, reminding me that in the medieval period it had supernatural and metaphorical dimensions. In these tales a wide range of medieval people come to life. * FINDS RESEARCH GROUP NEWSLETTER *A collection of stories that have stood the test of time. * HISTORY MAGAZINE (US) *[An] excellent compendium of medieval folklore. * FORTEAN TIMES *Truly ... a landmark work. This impeccably researched and very readable book should appeal to a wide audience. * MEDIEVAL REVIEW *Every reader is sure to find something new and many readers may find something to treasure in this sprightly anthology. * ARTHURIANA *Strongly recommended. A convenient compendium indeed! * MR JAMES NEWSLETTER *Assembles dozens of ghostly tales from an impressive array of original sources ranging from Iceland to Florence. * BBC HISTORY *

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Book SynopsisA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE ANGLO-HELLENIC LEAGUE RUNCIMAN AWARD 2022 ‘Peter Fiennes’s road trip around Greece [is] engagingly described’ Mary Beard, TLS ‘Fiennes is a brilliant and generous guide through Greece’ Observer ‘A wonderful… really profound meditation on what it means to hope… a gorgeous excursion into Greece and across the centuries on an environmental quest’ BBC Radio 4 Open Book Book of the Year choice by Anita Roy What do the Greek myths mean to us today? It’s now a golden age for these tales - they crop up in novels, films and popular culture. But what’s the modern relevance of Theseus, Hera and Pandora? Were these stories ever meant for children? And what’s to be seen now at the places where heroes fought and gods once quarrelled? Peter Fiennes travelTrade Review‘Peter Fiennes’s road trip around Greece – engagingly described in A Thing of Beauty – began with a visit to Lord Byron’s house… Fiennes’s tough talk and his down-to-earth refusal to put up with pretentious silliness contributes a lot to the pleasure of the book… [he] is well attuned to the ambivalence of hope.’ -- Mary Beard, Times Literary Supplement‘Fiennes is a brilliant and generous guide… a must-read.’ -- Alex Preston, Observer‘This book is a lament for a poisoned planet… He goes in search of the numinous but relishes the bathos of modernity… not so much a travelogue as an excursion into the psyche of Anthropocene man.’ * Literary Review *‘A wonderful book by a wonderful writer.’ -- Tom Holland‘A wonderful… really profound meditation on what it means to hope… a gorgeous excursion into Greece and across the centuries on an environmental quest’ * BBC Radio 4 Open Book BOOK OF THE YEAR choice by Anita Roy *‘A Thing of Beauty is an immensely pleasurable read. It takes you on an adventure around Greece and the myths that the ancients told there. But what really stayed with me were the reflections on storytelling, joy, and hope. Essential reading for our pandemic and pollution ravaged times.’ -- Helen Morales, author of Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths‘Peter Fiennes has a way of making even the most serious of subjects enjoyable and riveting to the end, and A Thing of Beauty is certainly no exception, this is great travel writing that makes the reader a part of the adventure, and one of the most engaging and enjoyable books I’ve read this year.’ -- Pilgrim House‘A deeply humane travelogue, a beautifully written book of stories, A Thing of Beauty is a siren song for Greece and a generous and precious gift – a classical education for those of us who are bereft of one.’ -- Patrick Barkham, natural history writer and author of Wild Child‘Peter Fiennes… follows in the footsteps of Pausanias, Lord Byron and others to rediscover some of the most evocative landscapes and sites from classical myth.’ -- Argo‘Fiennes is a brilliant and generous guide through Greece. He weaves the ancient world and the modern together with intelligence and elegance… There’s a wry Sebaldian humour at work here … A Thing of Beauty is a must-read for anyone visiting Greece.’ -- Alex Preston, Observer‘A Thing of Beauty is an entertaining, erudite travelogue through Greece, both ancient and modern.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘An evocative and informative book… It’s for anyone interested in the Greek Gods and their myths, the Greek countryside and wildlife, Greek politics and history, climate change and sustainable living, whether there’s any hope in the world today… and just how many Greek salads can one man eat? If you’re interested in more than one of those topics, it’s definitely the book for you.’ * Greece Travel Secrets *‘Fiennes sets out to explore the birthplace of Western civilization, Greece, in search of Hope… It’s a highly personal travelogue…with the historical and modern-day detail that late British travel writer Jan Morris might bring to the task.’ -- Booklist, starred review‘Passionate and lyrical’ * Publishers Weekly *‘An enjoyable journey through Greek myths and modernity in [Fiennes’s] search for hope, beauty and new understanding of our world.’ * Choice Magazine *‘In A Thing of Beauty, myths are not presented as dust-covered artefacts but vibrant, living, often frightening things that, like Greek gods, still affect and manipulate our lives. The quest that Peter Fiennes undertakes is of urgent relevance in this time of environmental change. Startling, informative and often very funny.’ -- Nick Hunt, author of Outlandish‘Fiennes is a talent and an important voice. His search for hope in the stories of the past feels vital for these times.’ -- Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground‘A Thing of Beauty is such a joy. Peter Fiennes invites us to travel with him to visit the ancient Oracle at Delphi as he searches for hope while the pre-vaccine pandemic is at its height and the wild fires rage. Self-deprecating, funny, deeply knowledgeable about Greek mythology, yet simultaneously confronting the challenges that face our world head-on, Fiennes is a most delightful travelling companion.’ -- Katharine Norbury, author of The Fish Ladder and editor of Women on Nature

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents a new translation of Aristotle''s Topics Book VI by Annamaria Schiaparelli, accompanied by a detailed commentary and textual notes providing insight into the history of the transmission of the text with its variants. In the Topics, Aristotle aims at developing his dialectical method. He introduces the four predicables (property, genus, accident, and definition) which are necessary for the classification and application of the topoi, or commonplaces. Book VI of the Topics is entirely devoted to the discussion of definition, the most extended and refined discussion of this subject handed down to us from the classical period. The concept of definition plays a central role not only in Aristotle''s logic but also in his ontology. Issues connected with definitions emerge constantly throughout his works. Moreover, definitions are at the centre of Platonic philosophy and sparked a lively discussion in philosophy of the Hellenistic and late classical periods.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION I: The Place of the Topics in Aristotle's Corpus II: The Contents of the Topics III: The Four Predicables IV: The Classifications of the Predicables V: The Logical Relations among the Predicables VI: The Predicable Definition VII: Types of Definition and their Rules VIII: The Notion of Causality in the Topics IX: Some Prominent Themes concerning Standard Definitions X: Structure and Interpretations of Book VI of the Topics TRANSLATION COMMENTARY Notes on the Text Appendix: The Predicables Logical Relations Select Bibliography Glossary: English-Greek / Greek-English Indexes

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Book SynopsisThe legends collected in Saints at the Limits, despite sometimes being viewed with suspicion by the Church, fascinated Christians during the Middle Ages—as cults and retellings attest. These Byzantine Greek stories, translated into English here for the first time, continue to resonate with readers seeking to understand universal fears and desires.Trade ReviewWhat makes this volume truly invaluable is the translations. As knowledge of ancient languages diminishes, the translations make these texts more accessible than ever. It seems likely that all these texts will attract more scholarly interest over the next few years…This is a very valuable volume to have. -- Roger Pearse

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Book SynopsisWritten over two thousand years ago, The Art of War contains penetrating insights into the nature of power, inter-state rivalry, realpolitik and military success, relevant to any age. It was first translated into English in the early 20th century. Sun Tzu's short lines of argument and pithy aphorisms are highly accessible to modern readers, and his text has almost achieved cult status. He is quoted everywhere 'from divorce courts to Facebook', and has something to offer anyone interested in honing leadership skills and achieving in any competitive environment 'from the boardroom to the bedroom'. Sun Tzu's advice is shrewd and pragmatic - he does not glory in slaughter and prefers to win battles off the battlefield if possible; he is a strong supporter of the use of deception, of varying your shots and above all, of doing your research: knowing your enemy is key; but of little use if you do not also 'know yourself'.Features a brilliant new translation by Peter Harris. The iconic text in its original 13 short chapters printed unencumbered by notesThe text repeated, this time interspersed with selected extracts from the canon of traditional Chinese commentators who have explained Sun Tzu's wisdom over the centuries; each chapter ending with an explanatory note from Peter HarrisTrade Review... this book has become a must-read for modern military strategists (even though Sun Tzu wrote about chariots rather than drones), the KGB and also for business thinkers who have applied his martial philosophy to the war that is modern capitalism. * Guardian *..this book is a guide to winning wars, avidly studied by America's armed forces as it was by Mao. . ..American strategists often read the “Art of War” to understand China not as an alluring and persuasive wielder of soft power, but as a potential enemy. * Economist *

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Book SynopsisLivy (Titus Livius, 64 or 59 BC–AD 12 or 17), the Roman historian, presents a vivid narrative of Rome’s rise from the traditional foundation of the city in 753 or 751 BC to 9 BC and illustrates the virtues necessary to achieve such greatness. The books of the fourth decad (31–40) focus on Rome’s growing hegemony in the East in the years 200–180.Trade ReviewThese new Loebs are superior to the old ones in almost every way…The true superiority of Yardley’s work lies, first of all, in the translation: he is an outstanding translator of Livy. -- Joseph B. Solodow * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

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Book SynopsisA masterpiece among early Greek romancesA tender novel describing eager and inept young love, Daphnis and Chloe tells the story of a baby boy and girl who are discovered separately, two years apart, alone and exposed on a Greek mountainside. Taken in by a goatherd and a shepherd respectively, and raised near the town of Mytilene, they grow to maturity unaware of one another's existence - until the mischievous god of love, Eros, creates in them a sudden overpowering desire for one another. A masterpiece among early Greek romances, attracting both high praise and moral disapproval, this work has proved an enduringly fertile source of inspiration for musicians, writers and artists from Henry Fielding to Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Maurice Ravel. Longus transforms familiar themes from the romance genre - including pirates, dreams, and the supernatural - into a virtuoso love story that is rich in insight, humorous and ironical in its treatment of human sexual experience.<

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Book SynopsisWritten by a fourteenth-century cleric, this spiritual allegory explores man in relation to his ultimate destiny against the background of teeming, colorful medieval life.

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Book SynopsisCollecting the most incisive and influential writings of one of Rome''s finest orators, Cicero''s Selected Works is translated with an introduction by Michael Grant in Penguin Classics.Lawyer, philosopher, statesman and defender of Rome''s Republic, Cicero was a master of eloquence, and his pure literary and oratorical style and strict sense of morality have been a powerful influence on European literature and thought for over two thousand years in matters of politics, philosophy, and faith. This selection demonstrates the diversity of his writings, and includes letters to friends and statesmen on Roman life and politics; the vitriolic Second Philippic Against Antony; and his two most famous philosophical treatises, On Duties and On Old Age - a celebration of his own declining years. Written at a time of brutal political and social change, Cicero''s lucid ethical writings formed the foundation of the Western liberal tradition in political and moral thought that continues to this day.This translation by Michael Grant conveys the elegance of Cicero''s writings. His introduction describes their social and political background, while maps, genealogical charts, timelines and a glossary place the works in context.Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman orator and statesman, was born at Arpinium to a wealthy local family. Having been educated in Rome, by 70 BC he had established himself as a leading barrister and was beginning a successful political career. Cicero received honours usually reserved only for the Roman aristocracy and was one of the greatest Roman orators.If you enjoyed Selected Works, you might like Suetonius'' The Twelve Caesars, also available in Penguin Classics.Table of ContentsIntroduction:1. Cicero against Tyranny by Jerome2. How to Live: Human Cooperation by Jerome3. Cicero as Writer and Speaker: Translator's Problems by Jerome4. The Fame of Cicero by JeromePart One: Against Tyranny1. Attack on Misgovernment: Against Verres, I2. Cicero's Life and Letters: Selection from his Correspondence3. Attack on an Enemy of Freedom: The Second Philippic against AntonyPart Two: How to Live4. A Practical Code of Behaviour: On Duties, III5. Cato the Elder on Old Age: On Old AgeAppendixesA. List of Surviving Works of CiceroB. Genealogical TablesC. Key to Technical TermsD. Maps: The Roman Empire, 51 B.C.; Central Italy; Greece and West of Asia Minor; Plan of RomeIndex of Personal Names

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Book SynopsisBrilliantly adapting Greek New Comedy for Roman audiences, the sublime comedies of Plautus (c. 254-184 BC) are the earliest surviving complete works of Latin literature. The four plays collected here reveal a playwright in his prime, exploring classic themes and developing standard characters that were to influence the comedies of Shakespeare, Molière and many others. In The Ghost, a dissolute son who has squandered his father's money is thrown into disarray when he returns from abroad, a theme that is explored further in the comedy of errors A Three-Dollar Day. In The Rope—regarded by many as the best of Plautus' plays—the shipwreck of a pimp and his slaves leads to the touching reunion of a father and his daughter, while Amphitryo, Plautus's only excursion into divine mythology, offers a cheerful account of how Jupiter became father to Hercules.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in Table of ContentsThe Rope and Other PlaysIntroductionThe Ghost MostellariaThe Rope RudensA Three-Dollar Day TrinummusAmphitryo

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Book SynopsisPlautus's broad humor, shown in some of the earliest surviving Latin plays, reflects Roman manners and contemporary life. This briliant collection includes: The Pot of Gold (Aulularia), The Prisoners (Captivi), The Brothers Menaechmus (Menaechmi), The Swaggering Soldier (Miles Gloriosus), and Pseudolus.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsThe Pot of Gold and Other PlaysThe Pot of GoldAululariaThe PrisonersCaptiviThe Brothers MenaechmusMenaechmiThe Swaggering SoldierMiles GloriosusPseudolus

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Book SynopsisVirgil (70-19BC) studied rhetoric and philosophy in Rome where he became a court poet. As well as The Aeneid, his Eclogues earned him the reputation as the finest Latin poet.

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Book SynopsisHorace (65-8 bc) was one of the poets of the Augustan age of Latin literature. This poetry is based around such diverse themes as the virtues of pastoral life, the joys of wine, friendship and love, and the poet's personal anguish following Brutus' defeat at the battle of Phillipi.

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Book SynopsisJuvenal's Satires create a fascinating (and immediately familiar) world of whores, fortune-tellers, boozy politicians, slick lawyers, shameless sycophants, ageing flirts and downtrodden teachersPerhaps more than any other writer, Juvenal (c. 55-138 AD) captures the splendour, the squalor and the sheer vibrant energy of everyday Roman life. A member of the traditional land-owning class which was rapidly seeing power slip into the hands of dynamic outsiders, he offers equally savage portraits of decadent aristocrats; women interested only in 'rough trade' like actors and gladiators; and the jumped-up sons of panders and auctioneers. He constantly compares the corruption of his own generation with their stern upright forebears. And he makes us feel from within the deep humiliation of having to dance attendance on rich but odious patrons.Green's celebrated translation is fully annotated and clarifies all references and allusions in the text, making iTable of ContentsPREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITIONINTRODUCTIONSATIRE ISATIRE IISATIRE IIISATIRE IVSATIRE VSATIRE VISATIRE VIISATIRE VIIISATIRE IXSATIRE XSATIRE XISATIRE XIISATIRE XIIISATIRE XIVSATIRE XVSATIRE XVINOTESABBREVIATIONSSELECT BIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

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Book SynopsisLucretius'' poem On the Nature of Things combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. With intense moral fervour he demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear since the soul is mortal, and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical laws of nature and not by gods; and that by believing this men can live in peace of mind and happiness. He bases this on the atomic theory expounded by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and continues with an examination of sensation, sex, cosmology, meteorology, and geology, all of these subjects made more attractive by the poetry with which he illustrates them.Trade ReviewOne of the most extraordinary classical translations of recent times -- Peter Stothard * Times Literary Supplement *A.E. Stallings's brilliant recent translation -- Eric Orrmsby * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisA collection of Greek fiction written between the first and fourth centuries AD'Callirhoe' is the stirring tale of star-crossed lovers Chaereas and Callirhoe, torn apart when she is kidnapped and sold as a slave, while 'Daphnis and Chloe' tells of a boy and girl abandoned at birth, who grow up to fall in love and battle pirates. Greek Fiction - also containing 'Letters of Chion', an early thriller about tyranny and a political assassination - is a fascinating glimpse into an alternative view of Ancient Greece's literary culture.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translat

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Book SynopsisPlutarch?s vivid and engaging portraits of the Spartans and their customs are a major source of our knowledge about the rise and fall of their remarkable Greek city-state between the sixth and third centuries BC. Through his Lives of Sparta?s leaders and his recording of memorable Spartan Sayings, he depicts a people who lived frugally and mastered their emotions in all aspects of life, who disposed of unhealthy babies in a deep chasm, introduced a gruelling regimen of military training for boys, and treated their serfs brutally. Rich in anecdote and detail, Plutarch?s writing brings to life the personalities and achievements of Sparta with unparalleled flair and humanity.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators.

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Book SynopsisA compelling new translation of a vital account of Roman historyWith clarity and vivid intensity, Tacitus's Annals recounts the pivotal events in Roman history from the years shortly before the death of Augustus to the death of Nero in 68 AD, including the reign of terror under the corrupt Tiberius, the great fire of Rome during the time of Nero, and the wars, poisonings, scandals, conspiracies, and murders that were part of imperial life. Despite Tacitus's claim that they were written objectively, the Annals is sharply critical of the emperors' excesses and fearful for the future of imperial Rome, while also filled with a longing for its past glories.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the 

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Book SynopsisGalen of Pergamum (AD 129--c. 210), physician and philosopher, anatomist, logician, clinical and pharmacological theorist and researcher, and personal doctor to the emperor Marcus Aurelius, was the most influential and versatile medical author of the Graeco-Roman world. Galen: An Anthology provides the most comprehensive range of his medical, philosophical, and autobiographical works in English, each accompanied by a brief introduction and explanatory notes. Grouped by themes, the selected texts encompass the scope and variety of Galen's work, from the nature of his medical practice to the content of his philosophical theories. This anthology includes revised translations of Galen's most accessible and interesting shorter works alongside fresh translations of excerpts from the most important longer ones--texts which are in many cases inaccessible or out of print. The translations rely on the latest scholarly research, and in the case of several works, on the findings of a recently disc

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Book SynopsisLife / Afterlife traces the development, evolution, and uses of underworld scenes in ancient Greek literature and society. Underworld scenes are a unique form of embedded storytelling, appearing across time and genres. These scenes employ a special register of language that acts as a narrative space outside of chronological time and everyday reality. Suzanne Lye shows how writers such as Homer, Hesiod, Aristophanes, Plato, and Lucian, among others, used afterlife depictions as commentaries to communicate a call to action for their audiences in response to cultural, religious, and political changes to their worlds. Using networks of underworld scenes which often featured mythic and historical figures, authors could reinforce or challenge traditional religious and cultural beliefs and practices by presenting the long-term, cosmic effects of actions in life on an individual''s post-death experience. From ancient to modern times, underworld scenes have helped authors and audiences define the essential qualities of a good life for different social, political, and religious groups and their societies. This book offers an approach to reading underworld scenes that explains how they function and why they have persisted in various forms, both literary and artistic, from the eighth-century B.C.E. to the present day.

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Book SynopsisThe high point in Cicero''s life (according to his own assessment), his reaching the consulship at the earliest opportunity in 63 BCE and his successful confrontation of the Catilinarian Conspiracy during that year, was soon followed by a backlash, which made Cicero withdraw from Rome in 58 to 57 BCE. Upon return to Rome from this absence (traditionally called ''exile'' by a term Cicero himself never uses in this context), Cicero delivered two speeches, in the Senate and before the People respectively, to express his gratitude for his recall and to establish himself again as a respected senior statesmen. This volume offers the first-full scale commentary in English, including a revised Latin text and a fresh English translation, on these speeches, which have suffered from neglect in scholarship and doubts about their authenticity. This book outlines their particular nature, the characteristics of their specific oratorical genre and their importance as documents of Cicero''s techniques as an orator and of the strategies of presenting himself. In addition, the book includes the spurious speech, Pridie quam in exilium iret, that Cicero supposedly gave on the eve of his departure. Thus, offering the first proper study of this speech, this volume presents all oratorical material related to Cicero''s departure from and return to Rome in a single volume and enables direct comparison between speeches now confirmed to be genuine and a later spurious speech, which also gives insights into the reception history of Cicero''s works. This book will therefore be an essential tool especially for Classicists and Ancient Historians interested in Cicero, in exile literature and in the history of the Roman Republic and Roman oratory.Trade Review... achievement in making these speeches more accessible than ever before to anglophone readers. * Andrew R. Dyck, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *... achievement in making these speeches more accessible than ever before to anglophone readers. * Andrew R. Dyck, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of Contents1: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Previous scholarship and this commentary 1.2: The historical background 1.3: Cicero's Post reditum speeches 1.4: The spurious Oratio pridie quam in exilium iret 1.5: Text and translation 2: LATIN TEXT AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 2.1: Testimonia 2.2: M. Tulli Ciceronis post reditum in senatu oratio 2.3: M. Tulli Ciceronis post reditum ad Quirites oratio 2.4: [M. Tulli Ciceronis] Oratio pridie quam in exilium iret 3: COMMENTARY 3.1: Testimonia 3.2: M. Tulli Ciceronis post reditum in senatu oratio 3.3: M. Tulli Ciceronis post reditum ad Quirites oratio 3.4: [M. Tulli Ciceronis] Oratio pridie quam in exilium iret References and Abbreviatoins

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Book SynopsisFew historical figures have had an impact on the popular imagination like the Roman emperor Caligula. But what can we believe about the incredible stories transmitted to us from ancient sources? This book presents translations of these sources-from ancient writers, coins, and inscriptions-as a guide to navigating inconsistent historical records.Table of ContentsPreface Important Events List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Further Reading Significant Events Introduction 1: Family and Childhood 2: Young Caligula 3: Accession 4: Tensions 5: The Private Caligula 6: The Public Caligula 7: Outside Rome 8: Assassination Glossary

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Book SynopsisThe book contains a new critical edition of the Greek text of Aristotle's De Motu Animalium and an English translation of the new text by Benjamin Morison, preceded by a two-part introduction by Christof Rapp and Oliver Primavesi.

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Book SynopsisPropertius'' Cynthia considers Propertius'' metapoetic and intra- and intertextual habits and their relationship with the repetitious amatory discourse that he fashions for himself with his beloved, Cynthia. Where scholarship tends to treat as separate the metaliterary and the amatory aspects of Propertius'' poetry, this volume - focussed on Books 3 and 4 - argues that his discussion of his own poetry and of his relationship to it as an author-figure - his metapoetic commentary - is closely married to, and can be clearly mapped onto, his account of his relationship with Cynthia, especially in Books 1-3. Moreover, it demonstrates that the amorous discourse the elegist fashions is constituted of a poetics of repetitiousness that is apt for the articulation of an elegiac relationship that, by its nature, cannot progress. The encounters between Propertius and Cynthia are repetitive, and the poet mirrors these in his recollection of lexical and thematic aspects of earlier poems in later ones. Each poem provides a fragmentary glance at Propertius'' relationship and, through repetitions with variation, the elegist shapes his readers'' understanding of his amatory discourse. Furthermore, it is argued that, since his beloved is the embodiment of his poetry, Propertius'' account of his changing relationship with her allows him to articulate the transformations of his elegiac corpus; this becomes most significant as the close of Book 3 appears to end their relationship and he begins a radical experimentation with the generic bounds of elegy that is expanded in Book 4, where the polyvalent Vertumnus embodies the poet''s work.

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Book SynopsisCicero''s so-called Academica is a significant text for European cultural and intellectual history: as a substantial and self-contained body of evidence for one of the two varieties of scepticism in antiquity, as evidence for Stoic thought presented on its own terms and in interaction with objections, as a key text in a broader tradition which is devoted to the possibility of knowledge arising from perceptual experience, and as evidence for the fate of Plato''s Academy in its final phase as a functioning school. This volume is the first detailed commentary on this set of texts since Reid''s, published in 1885. It takes full account of the scholarly debate to date and seeks to elucidate the dialogues and fragmentary remains from a philosophical, historical, literary, and linguistic point of view.Trade ReviewWhile there is no direct course through the Academica, no Cynosura to guide readers out at sea, Reinhardt is the expert and charitable guide we have long needed for the winding path by the Septemtriones. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction Translations Letters Ac. 1 Fragments Luc. Commentary Ac. 1 Fragments Luc. Appendices Appendix 1: Non-Ciceronian Texts on the Sceptical Academy Appendix 2: Numenius on the Academy

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Book SynopsisThe Odyssey is one of the world's greatest and best loved poems. It has inspired painters, poets, sculptors, and screenwriters; and now Barry Powell, one of the twenty-first century's leading Homeric scholars, has given us a powerful new translation.Trade ReviewMagnetically readable. * Booklist, starred review *[A] clear and energetic translation.... Staying true to Homer's poetic rhythms, Powell avoids the modified iambic lines found in Lattimore's, Fagles's, and Mitchell's works. He also avoids Lombardo's tendency to cast Homer in contemporary language and Fitzgerald's anachronisms. This fine version of The Iliad has a feel for the Greek. * Library Journal *With swift, transparent language that rings both ancient and modern, Barry Powell gives readers anew all of the rage, pleasure, pathos, and humor that are Homer's Iliad - a reading experience richly illumined by the insightful commentary and plentiful images accompanying the text. * Jane Alison, author of The Love-Artist *This translation is the complete package. A lucid and accessible introduction gives a general audience what they need to appreciate the nature of this extraordinary poem, and the translation itself is admirably energetic, readable, and direct. Powell's style is individual and self-assured, and his lines cry out to be read aloud. Just as in the original, the pace never lets up and the events of that long-lost past flash by. It is a remarkable achievement, one that fully deserves to rank with any of the current contenders. * Denis Feeney, Princeton University *Barry Powell's clever translation is simple and energetic: sometimes coarse, sometimes flowing, it is always poetically engaged. He lays bare the semantic background of Homer through felicitous phrasing and delivers us a Dark-Age epic, one more suggestive of Norse sagas than the cultural milieu of archaic Ionia. Fresh and eminently readable, Powell's Iliad is likely to stay. * Margalit Finkelberg, editor of The Homer Encyclopedia *Barry Powell, the master of classical mythology, has done it again - a powerful translation of the poem that started European literature. His muscular verses are faithful to the original Greek but bring the characters to life. This is a page-turner, bound to become the new standard. * Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules - For Now *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Book 1: Telemachos in Ithaca ; Book 2: Telemachos Calls an Assembly ; Book 3: Telemachos in Pylos ; Book 4: Telemachos in Sparta ; Book 5: Odysseus and Kalypso ; Book 6: Odysseus and Nausicaa ; Book 7: Odysseus in the Phaeacian Court ; Book 8: The Stranger in Town ; Book 9: Odysseus in the Cave of Cyclops ; Book 10: Odysseus and Kirke ; Book 11: Odysseus in the Underworld ; Book 12: Odysseus on the Island of the Sun ; Book 13: Home at Last ; Book 14: Odysseus in the Pig Herder's Hut ; Book 15: The Pig Herder's Tale ; Book 16: Father and Son ; Book 17: The Faithful Dog Argos ; Book 18: Presents from the Suitors ; Book 19: Odysseus' Scar ; Book 20: A Vision of Doom ; Book 21: The Contest of the Bow ; Book 22: The Slaughter of the Suitors ; Book 23: Husband and Wife ; Book 24: Father and Son

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A marvel throughout. . . . The advantages of Ferry's version seem obvious to me: regularity of meter, clarity of image, simplicity of language, understatement of the horrific. Throughout, Ferry maintains a coolness even amid the most terrible drama. It is as if he were writing not in our still-Romantic (even if post-Romantic) personal vein, but altogether in another mode: a classical, fatalistic one, to be sure, but also one in which emotion and achievement matter communally." * New York Review of Books *"The shining merit of his version is a kind of transparency: somehow he has managed without losing tone, to efface himself, so that as slight a barrier as possible is put between the reader and a poem from another and distant world. . . . Ferry's is now the best modern version of the Aeneid, both for its loyalty to the original and for its naturalness to itself. . . . This translation has a youthful suppleness and flexibility." * Times Literary Supplement *"Ferry more than succeeds in capturing the stateliness, as his rendering of the Proem, the epic’s introductory lines, into English blank verse shows . . . . Ferry's creamily elegant rendering of the epic, which tries to 'correct' the text’s oddness, is likely to leave you wondering why critics both ancient and modern have scratched their heads over Virgil’s verse . . ." -- Daniel Mendelsohn * The New Yorker *"Do we need, in 2017, another version of the Aeneid? . . . If it comes from the hand of David Ferry, one of America’s few great working nonagenarian poets, the answer is a resounding yes." -- Willard Spiegelman * The Wall Street Journal *"Ferry's Aeneid can be read with excitement and pleasure." -- Michael Dirda * Washington Post *". . . . sanguine and accessible. The lines are animated by a poet’s grace and rhythm. Beyond the beauty of the language, the epic remains timely, detailing the grave cost of empire. 'Every act of translation is an act of interpretation,' writes Ferry in an opening note, and this new take is a welcome one." -- Nina MacLaughlin * The Boston Globe *"An extraordinary new translation of Virgil's classic." -- Scott Esposito * Literary Hub *"Ferry's Aeneid has many strengths. He avoids over-the-top images not fairly located in the text, and sticks close to the prose translations he cites in his introductory comments. He also tries to include everything of significance in the original, avoiding egregious cuts made to improve the aesthetics of a line or the narrative flow. The language and syntax are generally straightforward, and it is easy to imagine using this translation in a classroom." * Claremont Review of Books *"Though elegant, The Aeneid is also rough, then, and elegance and roughness abound in Ferry’s completion of his work with Virgil. . . . The Aeneid is entirely distinctive, of personal and literary rather than popular and oral origins, a cornerstone of not just culture but also of calculated art. Ferry conveys its power even more than its majesty." * Booklist *“National Book Award–winning poet and translator Ferry takes up the Aeneid with engaging results. . . . An elegant and fluent version highly recommended for serious general readers.” * Library Journal *"From the long view and vantage of his own advanced age, Ferry has crafted an Aeneid not so much 'for the ages' (one never knows if that might be), but rather from and of our age in a manner not merely contemporary, but contemporaneous in spirit to what Virgil knew of war then, and remarkably what it still entails two millennia later. This not only enlivens for us a great classical poem, it also allows us to see our world as still classical in its demise and answering demeanor, no matter the drones that hover above. Loss, courage, blind rage, catastrophe, and chaos are the stuff of any age; David Ferry has held a finely polished mirror up to our own." -- Peter Filkins * New Criterion *"Ferry's version gains by its simplicity of language. . . . In Ferry's version, there’s a notable balance of an eloquent sensibility and a narrative simplicity—both of which Virgil’s epic demands, often simultaneously." * Rain Taxi *"Ferry’s chosen 'instrument,' as he calls it in his note on meter—a rough pentameter most of the time, and iambic by preference—is by turns subtle, flexible, and strong. . . . the poem has cumulative power" * The Hudson Review *"David Ferry’s translation serves Virgil as no other modern translation I know. . . . To read Ferry’s translation with loving kindness is to read a poet thinking about the poem he is translating while also producing a beautiful poem that stands, not as a substitute for Virgil, but as a genuine poem in its own right." -- Owen Boynton * Essays In Criticism *"An outstanding achievement." -- Susan Kristol * Weekly Standard *"Ferry's rendition of The Aeneid has allowed me to look at this epic with fresh eyes and as a result has given me a new enthusiasm and excitement for The Aeneid which I never thought would be possible . . . At an age when most literary and academic careers are winding down, Ferry has done his very best and most ambitious work." * Open Letters Monthly *"David Ferry’s new translation from the University of Chicago Press transported me back to what it was like reading [the Aeneid] for the first time. . . . Ferry’s translation of the Aeneid beautifully captures the world and morals that so inspired me years ago. His work has the rare effect of actually capturing the reader away." -- Brian K. Miller * The University Bookman *"This is an astonishing bit of translation that typifies the level of Ferry’s sensibility and craft." -- Drew Swinger * Poetry Daily *"Designed for the reader with no Latin who yet wishes to engage with the Aeneid." * Classics for All *"What stands out most is Ferry’s effective use of repetition just as Virgil did, resulting in some exciting new possible interpretations." -- Juliet O’Brien * Journal of Classics Teaching *Table of ContentsPreface A Note on Meter A Note on the Translation The Aeneid Book One Book Two Book Three Book Four Book Five Book Six Book Seven Book Eight Book Nine Book Ten Book Eleven Book Twelve Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisPresents an Aeneas for our time: an age of liquid modernity, when identities seem fungible and precarious, amid a moment of political conflict and collapsing institutions. This volume gives readers new translations and close readings of important passages, and it restores Aeneas to the centre of Rome's most important poem.Table of Contents Preface Chapter One: On Not Liking Aeneas Chapter Two: The First Three Words Chapter Three: The Choices of Aeneas Chapter Four: The Silences of Aeneas Chapter Five: The Tears of Aeneas Chapter Six: The Anger of Aeneas Epilogue: The Hero Vanishes Further Reading Works Cited Index of Passages Cited Index

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Book SynopsisOvid''s Fasti, his poem on the Roman calendar, became especially influential during the fifteenth century as a guide to classical Roman culture. Ovid''s treatment of mythological and astronomical lore, his investigation of anniversaries and customs, and his charting of monuments and history offered humanist poets and intellectuals an abundance of material to unravel. They could identify with Ovid as vates operosus, or hard-working seer-poet, suggesting both researcher and inspired authority. Angela Fritsen''s Antiquarian Voices:The Roman Academy and the Commentary Tradition on Ovid''s Fasti offers the first study of the Renaissance exegesis and imitation of Ovid as antiquarian. Fritsen analyzes the Fasti commentaries by Paolo Marsi (1440-1484) and Antonio Costanzi (1436-1490) as well as the connections between the two works. It situates Ovidian Fasti studies in the Roman Academy under the mentorship of Pomponio Leto. Nowhere c

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Book SynopsisStudies in the Age of Chaucer is the annual yearbook of the New Chaucer Society, publishing articles on the writing of Chaucer and his contemporaries, their antecedents and successors, and their intellectual and social contexts. More generally, articles explore the culture and writing of later medieval Britain (1200-1500). Each SAC volume also includes an annotated bibliography and reviews of Chaucer-related publications.

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Book SynopsisOne of a well-established series of sourcebooks catering to the needs of ancient history students at schools and universities. Each volume focuses on a particular period or topic and provides a generous and judicious selection of primary texts in new English translations, with annotation and supporting materials.Table of Contents1. From Caesar to Claudius (55 BC-AD 41); 2. The first century (AD 41-98); 3. The second century (AD 98-193); 4. Severus and the third century (AD 193-284); 5. Carausius and the fourth century (AD 284-410).

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Book SynopsisWhat makes us human? What, if anything, sets us apart from all other creatures? Julia Kindt unpacks ten ancient stories of marvelous mythical beings to explore bold new ways of thinking about humanity that reach from antiquity to the present and ultimately challenge our understanding of who we really are.Trade Review'Julia Kindt has found a miraculous new lens through which to scrutinise our oldest, most loved stories and find in them colours, shapes and qualities that we have never really seen before. Humankind's relationship with animals has been examined through archaeology, history and art, but never before, to my knowledge, through myth, legend and story. The insights that this absorbing and imaginative approach reveal are enthralling and profound. The stories are told with wit, imagination and sparkle; the animals who star in them brought wondrously to life.' Stephen Fry'Kindt's wide-ranging volume tackles a question seldom addressed in the ever-expanding literature of ancient animal studies: how do non-human animals make us human? Investigating this question through an examination of ten animals and animal types that appear in classical mythology and history and live on in recent literature and art, she offers fresh insights on issues central to ancient animal studies, including the nature of animal intellect and emotion, the ethical obligations of human beings toward other species, and the significance of hybridity and metamorphosis. Kindt's scrupulously researched yet highly readable text will prove informative and stimulating to classical scholars and non-specialists alike.' Stephen T. Newmyer, Duquesne University'In this beautifully written and timely book, Julia Kindt provides a fascinating account of how humans use real and imaginary animals to think about what it means to be human and an eloquent defence of the power of storytelling. With each of its chapters comparing classical and modern sources in innovative, accessible and engaging ways, The Trojan Horse and Other Stories is sure to start an important conversation about how the ancient world foreshadows our contemporary consideration of the human-animal relation.' Chris Danta, Australian National University'The stories from ancient Greece are foundational for all our imaginations – and they are some of the best and long-lasting stories we have! Julia Kindt is a wonderful guide to what they are, what they mean and how they have influenced us.' Simon Goldhill, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The Sphinx (Sphinx aenigmatica); 2. Xanthus, Achilles' Speaking Horse (Equus eloquens); 3. The Lion of Androclus (Panthera leo philanthropus); 4. The Cyclops (Cyclops inhospitalis); 5. The Trojan Horse (Equus troianus); 6. The 'Trojan' Boar (Aper troianus ostentator); 7. The Political Bee (Apis politica); 8. The Socratic Gadfly (Haematopota oxyglotta socratis); 9. The Minotaur (Hybrida minotaurus); 10. The Shearwaters of Diomedea (Calonectris diomedea transformata); Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe twelfth century was one of the most fertile periods in Byzantine literary history and this volume is the first to focus exclusively on its abundant poetic production. It explores the broader sociocultural tendencies that shaped twelfth-century literature in both prose and verse by examining the school as an important venue for the composition and use of texts written in verse, by shedding new light on the relationship between poetry, patronage and power, and by offering the first editions and interpretive studies of hitherto neglected works. In this way, it enhances our knowledge of the history of Byzantine literature and enables us to situate Medieval Greek poetry in the broader literary world of the medieval Mediterranean.

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Book SynopsisExplores how poetry and the figure of the poet are represented within the poetry of ancient Greece. This revised edition, complete with substantial new Introduction, will be of vital importance to students, scholars and non-specialists intrigued by Greek literature and literary criticism more widely.

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Book SynopsisXenophon of Athens wrote on a variety of subjects including history, biography, leadership and philosophical dialogue. This book explores the coherent worldview underlying these apparently disparate works, placing Xenophon's thought in its historical context and making him an important witness to the intellectual life of fourth-century BCE Greece.

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