De Bello Civili

Copertina anteriore
Cambridge University Press, 26 giu 1992 - 244 pagine
In this edition Professor Fantham offers the first full-scale commentary on the neglected second book of Lucan's epic poem on the war between Caesar and Pompey: De bello civili. Book II presents all three leading figures - Cato, Caesar and Pompey - in speech and action. It expresses the moral and political dilemma of civil war and portrays Pompey's loss of authority during his withdrawal from Italy in language designed to evoke and cancel Virgil's heroic presentation of the foundation myth of Aeneas. In her introduction, Professor Fantham gives a general account of Lucan's life and work and continues with a discussion of his narrative and interpretation of Caesar's military 'invasion' of Italy covering Books I and II, a survey of language, style and metre, and a brief history of the text. The commentary, besides supplying all necessary grammatical explanation and some assistance with translation, aims to provide the political, historical and geographical background to Lucan's epic narrative.

Dall'interno del libro

Sommario

I
II
1
III
2
IV
3
V
7
VI
11
VII
14
VIII
17
IX
19
XI
23
XII
34
XIII
43
XIV
46
XV
76
XVI
223
Copyright

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Informazioni sull'autore (1992)

Grandson of Seneca the Rhetorican and nephew of Seneca the Philosopher, Lucan was born in Spain and educated in rhetoric in Rome. He was a favorite at Nero's court until the emperor took offense at his precocious literary talent and prevented him from displaying it in public. Lucan then joined a conspiracy against the monarch and was forced to commit suicide. His epic poem "Bellum Civile" (Civil War), also called "Pharsalia," sided with Pompey in his fatal struggle with Julius Caesar. His complex rhetorical style was acclaimed in the Middle Ages; Dante and Chaucer ranked him high as a poet.

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