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Petronius (C. or T. Petronius Arbiter), who is reasonably
identified with the author of this famous satyric and satiric
novel, was a man of pleasure and of good literary taste who
flourished in the times of Claudius (41-54 CE) and Nero (54-68). As
Tacitus describes him, he used to sleep by day, and attend to
official duties or to his amusements by night. At one time he was
governor of the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor and was also a
consul, showing himself a man of vigour when this was required.
Later he lapsed into indulgence (or assumed the mask of vice) and
became a close friend of Nero. Accused by jealous Tigellinus of
disloyalty and condemned, with self-opened veins he conversed
lightly with friends, dined, drowsed, sent to Nero a survey of
Nero's sexual deeds, and so died, 66 CE.
The surviving parts of Petronius's romance "Satyricon" mix
philosophy and real life, prose and verse, in a tale of the
disreputable adventures of Encolpius and two companions, Ascyltus
and Giton. In the course of their wanderings they attend a showy
and wildly extravagant dinner given by a rich freedman, Trimalchio,
whose guests talk about themselves and life in general. Other
incidents are a shipwreck and somewhat lurid proceedings in South
Italy. The work is written partly in pure Latin, but sometimes
purposely in a more vulgar style. It parodies and otherwise attacks
bad taste in literature, pedantry and hollow society.
"Apocolocyntosis," "Pumpkinification" (instead of deification),
is probably by Seneca the wealthy philosopher and courtier (ca. 4
BCE-65 CE). It is a medley of prose and verse and a political
satire on the Emperor Claudius written soon after he died in 54 CE
and wasdeified.
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Great Dialogues Of Plato (Paperback)
Plato; Translated by W.H.D. Rouse; Introduction by Matthew S Santirocco
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R230
R191
Discovery Miles 1 910
Save R39 (17%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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"Plato is philosophy, and philosophy, Plato."--Emerson
"The Republic" and other great dialogues by the immortal Greek
philosopher Plato are masterpieces that form part of the most
important single body of writing in the history of philosophy.
Beauty, love, immortality, knowledge, and justice are discussed in
these dialogues, which magnificently express the glowing spirit of
Platonic philosophy.
Translated by W. H. D. Rouse, one of the world's most outstanding
classical scholars and translator of Homer's "The Odyssey" and "The
Iliad," this volume features the complete texts of seven of Plato's
most revered works.
"In Rouse's pages Socrates' strength of mind, his dedication to
philosophical truth, are borne in on the modern reader with
something of the power that impressed and disturbed the ancient
Greeks."--"Time"
Nonnos of Panopolis in Egypt, who lived in the fifth century of
our era, composed the last great epic poem of antiquity. The
"Dionysiaca," in 48 books, has for its chief theme the expedition
of Dionysus against the Indians; but the poet contrives to include
all the adventures of the god (as well as much other mythological
lore) in a narrative which begins with chaos in heaven and ends
with the apotheosis of Ariadne's crown. The wild ecstasy inspired
by the god is certainly reflected in the poet's style, which is
baroque, extravagant, and unrestrained. It seems that Nonnos was in
later years converted to Christianity, for in marked contrast to
the "Dionysiaca," a poem dealing unreservedly with classical myths
and redolent of a pagan outlook, there is extant and ascribed to
him a hexameter paraphrase of the Gospel of John.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of the "Dionysiaca" is in
three volumes.
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The Iliad (Paperback)
W.H.D. Rouse; Afterword by Adam Nicolson
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R206
R178
Discovery Miles 1 780
Save R28 (14%)
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THE WORLD S GREATEST WAR NOVEL
Humans and gods wrestling with towering emotions. Men fighting to the death amid devastation and destruction. Perhaps the Western world s first and best storyteller, Homer draws the reader in with bated breath. His masterful tale contains some of the most famous episodes in all of literature: the curse on the prophet Cassandra; the siege of Troy; the battle between Hector and Achilles; the face that launched a thousand ships; and of course, the deception of the Trojan Horse. To this day, the heroism and adventure of "The Iliad" have remained unmatched in song and story.
In his plain English translation, W.H.D. Rouse makes a point to keep the language as colloquial as Homer s original was, never pedantic, high-flown, or cliched. In fact, it is the nearest contemporary English equivalent to the epic Homer s audience heard at their banquets.
Lucretius (Titus Lucretius Carus) lived ca. 99-ca. 55 BCE, but the
details of his career are unknown. He is the author of the great
didactic poem in hexameters, "De Rerum Natura" ("On the Nature of
Things"). In six books compounded of solid reasoning, brilliant
imagination, and noble poetry, he expounds the scientific theories
of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, with the aim of dispelling fear
of the gods and fear of death and so enabling man to attain peace
of mind and happiness.
In Book 1 he establishes the general principles of the atomic
system, refutes the views of rival physicists, and proves the
infinity of the universe and of its two ultimate constituents,
matter and void. In Book 2 he explains atomic movement, the variety
of atomic shapes, and argues that the atoms lack colour, sensation,
and other secondary qualities. In Book 3 he expounds the nature and
composition of mind and spirit, proves their mortality, and argues
that there is nothing to fear in death. Book 4 explains the nature
of sensation and thought, and ends with an impressive account of
sexual love. Book 5 describes the nature and formation of our
world, astronomical phenomena, the beginnings of life on earth, and
the development of civilization. In Book 6 the poet explains
various atmospheric and terrestrial phenomena, including thunder,
lightning, earthquakes, volcanoes, the magnet, and plagues.
The work is distinguished by the fervour and poetry of the
author.
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