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Reading Lucan's Civil War: A Critical Guide Volume 62
Contributor(s): Roche, Paul (Author)
ISBN: 0806169397     ISBN-13: 9780806169392
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
OUR PRICE:   $34.60  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: September 2021
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Foreign Language Study | Latin
- Foreign Language Study | Ancient Languages (see Also Latin)
- History | Ancient - Rome
Dewey: 873.01
LCCN: 2021012570
Physical Information: 0.78" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.18 lbs) 352 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
Born in 39 C.E., the Roman poet Lucan lived during the turbulent reign of the emperor Nero. Prior to his death in 65 C.E., Lucan wrote prolifically, yet beyond some fragments, only his epic poem, the Civil War, has survived. Acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest literary achievements of the Roman Empire, the Civil War is a stirring account of the war between Julius Caesar and the forces of the republican senate led by Pompey the Great. Reading Lucan's Civil War is the first comprehensive guide to this important poem. Accessible to all readers, it is especially well suited for students encountering the work for the first time.

As the editor, Paul Roche, explains in his introduction, the Civil War (alternatively known in Latin as Bellum Civile, De Bello Civili, or Pharsalia) is most likely an unfinished work. Roche places the poem in historical and literary contexts that will be helpful to first-time readers. The volume presents, chapter-by-chapter, essays that cover each of the Civil War's ten extant books. Five further chapters address topics and issues pertaining to the entire work, including religion and ritual, philosophy, gender dynamics, and Lucan's relationships to Vergil and Julius Caesar.

The contributors to this volume are all expert scholars who have published widely on Lucan's work and Roman imperial literature. Their essays provide readers with a detailed understanding of and appreciation for the poem's unique features. The contributors take special care to include translations of all original Latin passages and explain unfamiliar Latin and Greek terms. The volume is enhanced by a map of Lucan's Roman world and a glossary of key terms.