Lucan: De bello civili Book II
Lucan: De bello civili Book II
$49.99
USDThis edition offers the first full-scale commentary on the neglected second book of Lucan's epic poem on the civil war between Caesar and Pompey: De bello civili. It pays particular attention to Lucan's inheritance from Virgil's Augustan epic and response to its challenge. The introduction gives a general account of Lucan's life and work, a discussion of his narrative, a survey of language, style and meter, and a brief history of the text. The commentary offers assistance with grammar and translation and aims to provide the political, historical and geographical background to Lucan's epic narrative.
- Only student-level edition of this book of Lucan's De bello civili available
- Lucan's star is rising - see our forthcoming monograph by Jamie Masters: Poetry and Civil War in Lucan's Bellum Civile
- There is only one other student-level commentary on any book of Lucan - Roland Mayer's edition of Lucan Book VIII from Aris and Philips - so an alternative text to use should be popular with teachers
Reviews & endorsements
"From the commentary's wealth of insights, observations and contextualizations one could single out items from every page which are worthy of note or lead to further literary reflection. Suffice it to say that in the preparation of this commentary [Elaine Fantham] has done Lucan and his readers an extremely valuable and lasting service." Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"This edition has much to offer to reader of the Pharsalia at any level whether he be newcomer, graduate student, or veteran of Lucan studies." Classical World
Product details
June 1992Paperback
9780521422413
260 pages
209 × 129 × 17 mm
0.29kg
2 maps
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. De bello civili: the poet and the poem
- 2. Lucan's work in the epic tradition
- 3. The Civil War: history and poetic interpretation
- 4. Language, style and versification
- 5. The text M. Annaei Lvcani De bello civili liber secvndvs
- Commentary
- Chronological table of events from 88–49 BC
- Parallel summaries of Lucan, De bello civili I-II, Livy, Periocha and Caesar, Bellum civile 1
- Appendices:
- 1. A Neronian critic of Lucan?
- 2. The capture of Corfinium
- 3. Cato's decision and Seneca's appraisal
- Bibliography
- Index.
