Customer Reviews

Vergil's Aeneid, Books I-VI (Latin Edition) (Bks. 1-6) (English and Latin Edition)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whether one is studying the Aeneid or one simply wishes to read it for pleasure, Pharr's and Heath's edition is, when it comes to the first six books of Vergil's epic, the _ne plus ultra_ of student texts. The "Purple Vergil" renders the Aeneid both more accessible and easier to appreciate as a work of art.

This is due, in large part, to the text's impeccable format. Each page provides all the necessary vocabulary (especially common words are located in a fold-out list at the back), eliminating the constant drudgery of poring through one's Latin-English dictionary so common to most texts. Pharr and Heath also provide comprehensive notes for the poem--notably, helpful rearrangements of the more convoluted sentences. Additionally, a thorough appendix on Latin grammar and poetry is included (including declensions of those pesky Greek forms).

With this amazing text, Pharr and Heath have given anyone with a couple years of Latin the ability to read and enjoy this masterful work of literature in its original language. One only wonders why their format hasn't been wholly adopted by more authors...

The reviews of all the various editions of the Aeneid seem to be lumped together. I find this odd. Let me clarify that I'm talking about Pharr's edition of the Aeneid, Books I-VI, in Latin, with vocabulary, notes and grammar, currently reprinted by Bolchazy-Carducci. The so-called "Purple Vergil."

What a beautiful thing! I imagine this book is wonderful for teachers in a Latin classroom setting; I have no idea, as I have never taken a class in Latin. For those who study Latin on their own, like me, this book is absolutely necessary. Each page contains its own textual commentary and also definitions of all but the most common vocabulary words employed on the page. Flipping to the back of the book is minimalized. Vergil becomes easy to read, and his powerful Latin comes through undiminished by translation, however skilled. Buy it today.

Pharr's text is simply a must for anyone interested in reading the Aeneid, or, for that matter, for anyone interested in reading some Latin literature. Rather than spending a lot of time reading less interesting and less beautiful works in order to develop a good vocabulary so that you can read something like the Aeneid, Clyde Pharr has made it possible(some 85 years ago) for someone with a year's worth of Latin to actually read what is arguably the crowning jewel of Latin lit. Having read the first 6 books with Pharr's help, the motivated student has already developed the skills and vocabulary to tackle the last six with a lesser degree of assistance, or to read whatever verse or prose might next interest him/her. It is difficult to overpraise Pharr's contribution to the study of Latin.

I am in my third year of latin and this is the best latin book I have ever studied with. The common word pull-out at the back of the book accompanied by the commentary on the respective page of latin makes this the best latin text book ever.

I love Pharr's set-up with all of the footnotes, as well as the copious grammar notes in the back (I've learned a number of things from the appendix that good ol' Wheelock never mentioned!). Overall, as a Latin student, I really like the format.

The one thing I don't like is related the binding. This is the kind of text where you would want the book to lie open on its own so that you have hands free for writing out your translating, referring to other books/dictionaries/etc., but the paperback version of this book is one of those it's too stiff to lie open on its own, so you either have to crack the spine to force it to do so, or you constantly have to put a bookmark in it, close the book, do some writing, then open the book again. Minor annoyance, yes, but still an annoyance when you have a large section to be translating in one sitting. If you're going to be doing a hefty amount of translating out of the book, then you might be wise to spend a few more bucks and get the hardcover.

This Latin textbook provides the first half of the Aeneid in Latin, along with plenty of footnotes and appendices to guide you as you translate the great epic. Each page contains five to fifteen lines of the Aeneid, and the remaining two-thirds of each page contains the vocabulary, grammar notes, and miscellaneous footnotes. You never need to turn a page or refer to another dictionary, so the tedious aspect of translating is removed. (My fellow students love this awesome aspect and therefore call it the "Pharr Out" edition.) The appendices provide all the grammar rules you may have forgotten or have yet to learn. Beginner and Intermediate Latin students can't go wrong with this book if they need or want to tackle Virgil's Aeneid.

This is by far the best student edition of Vergil's Aeneid I have ever encountered. If you are looking for a textbook to teach the Aeneid, do not hesitate to purchase this one; optimus est!

This book is a great guide when translating the Aeneid. It has all of the poetic figures, grammatical notes, and vocabulary one needs for preparation for the AP Latin test.

The structure of the book has been well thought out,with short sections of the text above the vocabulary for that text and at the bottom there is a full commentary with grammatical explanations. There are full explanations of the progress of the story, with interludes explaining the action to come and explanations of both gods and humans. Altogether, I would recommend this book to any sixth form or university classics student.

I had tought myself Latin to the extent where I enjoyed reading from Cicero or from various medieval Latin texts. This book is my first experience with the classical Latin poetry.
I decided to go through it without rushing, rather deliberately, starting from the overview of the grammar and then going into the beautiful epic story of Aeneas travels. I start each page with a review of the vocabulary for the page, then reading and translating the verses while reviewing the usage and grammar notes on the bottom of the page. The beuty of the format is that all the necessary information, word list and grammatical usage, is included on each page right below the verses. There is no need to contantly search in a separate dictionnary for the meanings of the words; with very few exceptions, all the needed words are included on the page you are working on. This makes the reading and learning experience to be very enjoyable. Although I am still working on Book I, I can already see how much my skills have improved, how much easier the reading and translation becomes with every new page being completed.
So, if you feel you want to take a plunge into Latin poetry, but you have felt somewhat intimidated, buy this book and discover the beauty of Vergil verses. The unique format will make this experience to be truly exhilarating.
Perhaps one word of caution intended for those who decide to jump into Latin texts while skipping (or skimming) the Latin grammar. Do not waste your money on a book like this one or on various dictionnaries if you do not posses a solid(!) foundation of Latin grammar. If that was not the case it will be just a wasted effort and will only make you very frustrated.