Horace: Odes: & Carmen Saeculare

Description

Horace's Odes enjoys a long tradition of translation into English, most famously in versions that seek to replicate the quantitative rhythms of the Latin verse in rhymed quatrains. Stanley Lombardo, one of our preeminent translators of classical literature, now gives us a Horace for our own day that focuses on the dynamics, sense, and tone of the Odes, while still respecting its architectonic qualities. In addition to notes on each of the odes, Anthony Corbeill offers an Introduction that sketches the poet's tumultuous political and literary careers, highlights the Odes' intricate construction and thematic breadth, and identifies some qualities of this work that shed light on a disputed question in its reception: Are these poems or lyrics? This dual-language edition will prove a boon to students of classical civilization, Roman literature, and lovers of one of the great masters of Latin verse.

Stanley Lombardo is Professor of Classics, University of Kansas. Anthony Corbeill is the Basil L. Gildersleeve Professor of Classics, University of Virginia.

"Yet again, Stanley Lombardo has produced a superb translation, this time of the Odes of Horace. The greatest virtue of his translation is that he represents the stanzas of Horace's lyric stanzas with his own poetic version, closely hewing to the stanzas of the Horatian original. The translation, with the Latin text facingthe first time he has given us the original language in a translation from classical antiquitywill instantly become the go-to text for courses in translation and will also be a resource for anyone interested in Romes greatest lyric poet." Richard F. Thomas, George Martin Lane Professor of the Classics, Harvard University "One important feature of this volume is the facing page Latin text. Lombardo's translation, wherever possible and nearly always with clear and idiomatic English, tidily conforms clause by clause to the shape and sense of each of Horace's stanzas. Additionally, the translations generally flow well in almost Horatian rhythm, and occasionally sound devices add to the poetic quality of the English. Corbeill's Introduction to Horace's life and political context is the ideal length and level for its audience. This Introduction will effectively equip readers to begin their voyage into the Odes and the Carmen Saeculare . New readers will find Corbeill's succinct notes at the end of the book to be useful guides to each ode. An excellent choice as an entry point into Horace's poetry." Blanche Conger McCune, Baylor University, in The Classical Review