A Roman Verse Satire Reader: Selections from Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal

The trademark exuberance of Lucilius, gentleness of Horace, abrasiveness of Persius, and vehemence of Juvenal are the diverse satiric styles on display in this Reader. Witnesses to the spectacular growth of Rome’s political and military power, the expansion and diversification of its society, and the evolution of a wide spectrum of its literary genres, satirists provide an unparalleled window into Roman culture: from trials of the urban poor to the smarmy practices of legacy hunters, from musings on satire and the satirist to gruesome scenes from a gladiatorial contest, from a definition of virtue to the scandalous sexual display of wayward women. Provocative and entertaining, challenging and yet accessible, Roman verse satire is a motley dish stuffed to its readers’ delights.

Special Features

• Introduction on the Roman satiric genre and its authors
• 556 lines of unadapted Latin text selections: Lucilius, Satires, fragments 172–75, 176–81, 185; 524–29; 1145–51; 1196–1208 • Horace, Satires 1.1.41–79; 1.4.103–43; 2.5.23–50; 2.7.21–71, 111–18 • Persius, Satires 1.1–12, 107–34; 2.1–16, 31–51; 5.21–51 • Juvenal, Satires 1.63–93, 135–46; 3.190–231; 6.60–102; 8.183–99, 215–30; 13.38–70; 14.1–55
• Grammatical and stylistic commentary printed at the back of the book
• 1 map and 4 black-and-white photos
• Complete vocabulary