Horace

Theodore MartinProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 291K words
Chapters: 30

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Horace by Sir Theodore MartinAuthor: Martin, Theodore, Sir, 1816-1909,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 2005

Editor's review

This book is Sir Theodore Martin's critical biography of the Roman poet Horace, belonging to the field of classical languages and literature. Writing from the perspective of a nineteenth-century scholar, Martin connects Horace's life, creative context, and poems, offering both a sketch of Roman society and an analysis of Horace's poetic style and intellectual concerns. For readers seeking an initial understanding of Horace and his work, the book provides a relatively accessible entry point: it is not a daunting Latin critical edition but narrative and evaluative introductory prose of good readability. Readers should note that the book inevitably carries the tastes and judgments of nineteenth-century British scholarship, and its assessment of Horace may not fully align with contemporary classical studies; it is best regarded as a historically situated interpretation rather than a definitive verdict. The book is in English and suits classical literature enthusiasts as extended reading, as well as readers interested in Roman poetry and the European literary tradition who wish to read selected chapters.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a preliminary interest in Roman poetry and Horace's works
Literature and history enthusiasts who wish to learn how nineteenth-century British scholarship evaluated classical poets
University students with English reading ability who want to broaden their classical literary horizons
Self-learners seeking an overview of Horace's life and creative context as reference material

Not a good fit for

Professional classical scholars seeking a Latin critical edition or line-by-line commentary
General readers who find English difficult and expect a Chinese translation
Readers pursuing the latest contemporary Horace scholarship and academic debates

Reading tips

Read selected passages from Horace's representative works first, then return to the book's commentary for a more concrete understanding
Read chapter by chapter in separate sittings, noting Martin's key judgments on Horace after each chapter
When encountering passages involving Roman history, read alongside basic Roman history materials for cross-reference
Pay attention to the book's nineteenth-century value judgments and keep comparative notes with contemporary views

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book the original text of Horace's poetry collection?

No. This is Sir Theodore Martin's critical work on Horace, focused mainly on biographical introduction and analysis of his works; it is not a Latin critical edition or complete translation of the poems. Readers who wish to read Horace's poetry directly will need a separate translated collection.

How difficult is the English?

The language is nineteenth-century English, with rather long sentences and formal diction, but it is generally narrative prose and not overly difficult. Readers with a university-level English reading foundation can work through it with a dictionary, slowing down when encountering many classical names and places.

Why do the views in this book differ from current scholarship?

The book was written in the nineteenth century, and Martin evaluated Horace with Victorian literary tastes and moral judgments, so his praise or criticism of certain works may differ from contemporary classical perspectives. Treating it as a historically marked interpretation makes comparative reading all the more rewarding.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Theodore Martin Author · British (Scottish) · 1816–1909

Sir Theodore Martin (1816–1909) was a British writer, poet and translator, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, who practised law in Edinburgh and London in his early years. He became known for The Book of Ballads, written jointly with Aytoun under the pen name Bon Gaultier. He translated works by Goethe, Horace, Heine and Dante, showing wide literary interests and translating skill. At Queen Victoria's command he wrote the five-volume Life of the Prince Consort, for which he was knighted, and in later years published Queen Victoria as I Knew Her. Three of his works are held in this collection. His writings span poetry, translation and biography, in a careful and plain style.