The first of a two-volume edition of Vergil's Aeneid, "Aeneid 1-6" is part of a new series of Vergil commentaries from Focus, designed specifically for college students and informed by the most up-to-date scholarship. The editors, who are scholars of Roman epic, not only provide grammatical and syntantical aid in translating and navigating the complexities of Vergil's Latin, but also elucidate the stylistic and interpretive issues that enhance and sustain readers' appreciation of the Aeneid. Editions of individual Aeneid books with expanded comments and general vocabulary of each book are also being made available by Focus.

FEATURES: The complete Books 1-6 in Latin with the most up-to-date notes and commentary by today's leading scholars of Roman epic;A general introduction to the entire volume that sets forth the literary, cultural, political, and historical background necessary to interpret and understand Vergil;Book commentaries that include: an introduction to each book, as well as shorter introductions to major sections to help frame salient passages for students;line-by-line notes providing grammatical and syntactical help in translating, discussion of the most up-to-date scholarship, and explanations of literary references that help students make connections between Vergil and Homer;Appendix on meter clearly and helpfully demonstrating the metrical concepts employed in the Aeneid with actual examples from the text, giving students the framework for understanding Vergil's poetic artistry;Glossary on rhetorical, syntactic, and grammatical terms that aids students in identifying and discussing the characteristic elements of Vergil's style.

At the beginning of Vergil's epic poem - long considered a classic of Western literature - the hero Aeneas escapes from the carnage of the Trojan War and embarks on a treacherous series of adventures that eventually lead him to the future site of Rome. Vergil renders Aeneas' dramatic story in deceptively simple but powerful language, yet the poet's style is often lost in translation. This magnificent new English translation of the Aeneid conveys the force of the original poetry, as well as its subtle undertones, in part by employing the poet's own metrical style. Unlike other modern translators of Vergil, who forgo meter entirely or use iambic pentameter (the meter of Shakespeare and other English poets), Patricia A. Johnston uses dactylic hexameter, the meter used by Vergil and by all ancient writers of epic poetry, beginning with Homer. Johnston also avoids elaborate or esoteric language and instead uses clear, unadorned diction to capture Vergil's masterful simplicity. This volume is unique as well in addressing the needs of students and other readers who may be encountering Vergil's work for the first time. In her introduction to the poem, Johnston traces the life of Vergil, describes his other works, and provides a brief plot summary of the Aeneid. Her lucid explanation of poetic meters in English and Latin is useful even for readers who thought they understood the difference between a dactyl and a spondee. Throughout the poem itself, she provides ample footnotes to explain the meaning of unfamiliar references. The volume concludes with a glossary of names and a select bibliography.

In Vergil's Aeneid, the poet implies that those who have been initiated into mystery cults enjoy a blessed situation both in life and after death. This collection of essays brings new insight to the study of mystic cults in the ancient world, particularly those that flourished in Magna Graecia (essentially the area of present-day Southern Italy and Sicily). Implementing a variety of methodologies, the contributors to Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia examine an array of features associated with such "mystery religions" that were concerned with individual salvation through initiation and hidden knowledge rather than civic cults directed toward Olympian deities usually associated with Greek religion. Contributors present contemporary theories of ancient religion, field reports from recent archaeological work, and other frameworks for exploring mystic cults in general and individual deities specifically, with observations about cultural interactions throughout. Topics include Dionysos and Orpheus, the Goddess Cults, Isis in Italy, and Roman Mithras, explored by an international array of scholars including Giulia Sfameni Gasparro ("Aspects of the Cult of Demeter in Magna Graecia") and Alberto Bernabe ("Imago Inferorum Orphica"). The resulting volume illuminates this often misunderstood range of religious phenomena.

The Epicurean teacher and poet Philodemus of Gadara (c. 110-c. 40/35 BC) exercised significant literary and philosophical influence on Roman writers of the Augustan Age, most notably the poets Vergil and Horace. Yet a modern appreciation for Philodemus' place in Roman intellectual history has had to wait on the decipherment of the charred remains of Philodemus' library, which was buried in Herculaneum by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. As improved texts and translations of Philodemus' writings have become available since the 1970s, scholars have taken a keen interest in his relations with leading Latin poets.

The essays in this book, derived from papers presented at the First International Symposium on Philodemus, Vergil, and the Augustans held in 2000, offer a new baseline for understanding the effect of Philodemus and Epicureanism on both the thought and poetic practices of Vergil, Horace, and other Augustan writers. Sixteen leading scholars trace his influence on Vergil's early writings, the Eclogues and the Georgics, and on the Aeneid, as well as on the writings of Horace and others. The volume editors also provide a substantial introduction to Philodemus' philosophical ideas for all classicists seeking a fuller understanding of this pivotal figure.