Roman Satire

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Roman Satire
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Michael Coffey
SeriesBCPaperbacks
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 135
Category/GenreLiterary studies - classical, early and medieval
ISBN/Barcode 9781853990465
ClassificationsDewey:877.0109
Audience
General
Undergraduate
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Professional & Vocational
Edition Revised edition

Publishing Details

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Bristol Classical Press
Publication Date 23 March 1995
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

This study appraises the work of all the Roman satirists, from the 2nd century BC, to the end of the reign of Hadrian in AD 138. The satirists' work is shown to reflect the constantly changing society in which they lived, and its topics range from the morally earnest to the bawdy. Certain themes are examined which are common to some degree to all the satirists - autobiographical revelation, personal invective, political and ethical judgements and literary criticism. The book provides an exposition of the tradition of verse satire from Lucilius through Horace and Persius to Juvenal, with an assessment of the structure and distinctive literary quality of each satire. It discusses satire in the Menippean tradition, a composite form of prose and verse which was used first by Varro, then by Petronius and by Seneca in his "Apocolocyntosis", a comical and malicious satire on the deification of the emperor Claudius.