Seneca: Apocolocyntosis (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) [Hardcover]

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Author), P. T. Eden (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521246172 | ISBN-13: 978-0521246170 | Publication Date: April 27, 1984

The Gourdification of Claudius the God has instant and lasting appeal. It is a uniquely surviving specimen of prose-and-verse satire from the Roman world - and satire, a Roman speciality, is one of the few types of ancient literature to survive, and thrive, in modern society. Its author, Seneca, was not only gifted with intellectual virtuosity, but, at the time of writing, was the precarious power behind the throne of the dangerously developing Nero. Claudius, the target of his malicious wit, remains the most controversial of the first twelve imperial Caesars. The English version facing the text makes the work available to the general reader who may not have any Latin. The text, which is based on a critical examination of all the manuscripts, will be indispensable to scholars. The commentary, which is the first on this scale to have been written in English, is primarily addressed to university and other students.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin

Book Description

This is a uniquely surviving specimen of prose-and-verse satire from the Roman world. The English version facing the text makes the work available to the general reader who may not have any Latin. The text, which is based on a critical examination of all the manuscripts, will be indispensable to scholars.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 27, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521246172
• ISBN-13: 978-0521246170
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,048,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, statesman, philosopher, advocate and man of letters, was born in Spain around 4BC. He rose to prominence at Rome, pursuing a double career in the courts and political life, until Claudius sent him into exile exile on the island of Corsica for eight years. Recalled in AD49, he was appointed tutor to the boy who was to become, in AD54, the emperor Nero. Seneca acted for eight years as Nero's unofficial chief minister until Nero too turned against him and he retired from public life to devote himself to philosophy and writing. In AD65, following the discovery of a plot against the emperor, he and many others were compelled by Nero to commit suicide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Text, Translation, and Commentary, November 24, 2007

By 

Justin Dombrowski "Justin" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seneca: Apocolocyntosis (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) (Hardcover)

Seneca's Apocolocyntosis is a quasi-funerary speech given by Seneca on the Saturnalia concerning the (deified) emperor Claudius. The speech is hilarious, mocking a justly deserving tyrant, and is totally worth reading (in Latin it's better than English).

Eden's volume has become the standard critical edition (w/ full apparatus) of Seneca's Apocolocyntosis. Unlike others of the Cambridge texts, this one also includes a full translation in Loeb style with Latin and English on facing pages. If I had a gripe, it's only that the edition is only available in softcover. That's a real shame.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, December 11, 2006

By 

Matthew Rozsa (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seneca Apocolocyntosis (Paperback)

On the one hand, it is important to remember that Seneca wrote this book as a way of stroking the petty ego of Rome's newest emperor, Nero; thus his lampooning of Claudius and fawning admiration of his successor should be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it is a great Menippean satire - humorous, witty, well-composed, and imaginative. I only wish that the full text remained in our possession; some of it is missing, and I suspect that its absence does detract from the quality of the whole. Oh well.

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful brief commentary, December 15, 2011

By 

Kristina Müller (Baltimore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seneca Apocolocyntosis (Paperback)

Commentary is helpful for quick reference a la Cliff's notes and for a decent understanding of the work but too superficial for an in-depth study of the text.