The Colloquia of the Hermeneumata Pseudodositheana

The Colloquia are manuals written to help ancient Greeks and Romans get around in each other's languages; they contain examples of how to conduct activities like shopping, banking, visiting friends, hosting parties, taking oaths, winning lawsuits, using the public baths, having fights, making excuses and going to school. They thus offer a unique glimpse of daily life in the early Roman Empire and are an important resource for understanding ancient culture. They have, however, been unjustly neglected because until now there were no modern editions of the texts, no translations into any modern language, and little understanding of what the Colloquia are and where they come from. This book completes the task begun by Volume 1 of making the Colloquia accessible for the first time, presenting a new edition, translation and commentary of the remaining surviving texts. It is clearly written and will interest students, non-specialists and professional scholars alike.

• Provides the first modern edition of these particular Colloquia
• Presents the first translation of these Colloquia ever made into any modern language
• Provides the first commentary on these Colloquia, helping readers to understand the difficult portions of the texts and synthesising the work of other modern scholars