The essential classics

178 Pages·2013·49.17 MB·English

The Essential Classics
An Anthology of Greco-Roman Literature
EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY CATHERINE LECOMTE LAPP
COMMENTARIES TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
BY ERIC C. LAPP
Les Belles Lettres
2005
© 2005. Société d'édition Les Belles Lettres
95, Boulevard Raspail
75006 Paris
Front and back cover photographs © Eric C. Lapp
First edition 2005
ISBN 2-251-45010-6
Printed in the United States of America
. Design by Stacy Deighton
www.Deighton-Design.com
Contributing Editor: Ken Dantz
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........... ...... ...... ...... ............................. vii
Editor's Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Map of the Mediterranean .................... ... .... ... ............... xviii
Map of Greece and the Aegean ......... ....... ............ .............. xix
Map of ltaly ............................... .................. .... .... .. xx
HOMER (eighth century BC)
Achilles' Anger. Patroclus' Death. Making of Achilles' Shield ......... .... ....... . 2
The Cyclopes ... ........................................ .. .. ......... .. 14
Revenge of Ulysses. Trial of the Bow .............................. ... ...... 25
HESIOD (c. 700 BC)
Battle of the Titans and the Olympians .... ....... ...... ..................... 35
Theft of the Fi re. Creation of Pandora. Myth of the Five Ages of Man ............. 38
AESOP (sixth century BC)
The Sick Lion .......................... ................................ 47
Mercury and the Workmen ............................................... 47
The Bear and the Two Travelers ........................................... 48
The Miser ......................... ... ............................ .. .. 48
The Brazier and His Dog .. ... ..... ...... ....... .. ....................... 49
AESCHYLUS (c. 525 -456 BC)
Defeat at Salamis .... .................... .... ..... ...................... 51
Prometheus' Punishment for Supplying Fire ... .... ....... ... .... ...... ....... 65
PINDAR (518 -438 BC)
Founding of the Olympie Games .................................. .... ..... 78
Birth of Rhodes, the Island of the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Expedition of the Argonauts. Founding of Cyrene ...... .. ....... ... .. .. .... ... 85
SOPHOCLES (c. 497-c. 405 BC)
Oedipus in Search of Himself ....................................... ........ 94
Divine Law vs. Human Law ............................................... 105
EURIPIDES (c. 485 -c. 406 BC)
Revenge of the Betrayed Woman ................. ..... ..... ...... ....... .. 128
Recognition of Orestes and lphigenia .. ... .................................. 144
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HERODOTUS (c. 480 -420 BC)
Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt: Food, Medicine, Mummification, and More ....... 167
The Battle of Marathon .. ........... .................................... 171
THUCYDIDES (c. 460 -c. 400 BC)
Greece from Its Origins to the Peloponnesian War ............ ................ 178
Pericles' Speech for the Dead Soldiers ....... ............. ..... ............ 187
The Plague ofA thens ................................................... 193
Pericles' Speech to Defend Himselffrom the Accusations of the Athenians ......... 197
ARISTOPHANES (c. 445 -c. 386 BC)
Traditional Education vs. New Education ... ... ............................. 202
Sex Strike .......... ............ ...................................... 212
PLATO (c. 427 -347 BC)
Myth of the Androgyne .. .............. .................................. 230
Praise of Love by Socrates ..... .. ..... .... .. ... ......................... 234
Philosopher-ruler ............. .................. .. .... .. .. ... ....... ... 246
Analogy of the Cave .................................................... 259
Atlantis .............. ............... ................... .. ............ 267
Last Moments of Socrates ................... .............. .............. 275
XENOPHON (426 -354 BC)
Disarray of the Greeks after the De ath of Cyrus .. ...... ........... ..... .... 280
Portrait of Soc rates .... .............................. ..... .. ... ........ 285
ARISTOTLE (384 -322 BC)
Explanation and Function ofTragedy: Mimesis and Katharsis ..... ............. 295
DEMOSTHENES (384 -322 BC)
Macedonian Threat ... ............ ............................. ........ 305
PLAUTUS (c. 255 BC - 184 BC)
When the Cat's Away, the Mice Will Play ........................ ......... .. 317
CICERO (106 -43 BC)
Definition of Friendship .. ................ ...................... ......... 334
CAESAR (100 -44 BC)
Caesar Besieges Alesia ................................................... 342
Passage of the Rubicon ................... ............. ............... 352
LUCRETIUS (c. 94 -c. 55 BC)
The Atom .. .. .... ..... .... ..... ... ..... .... ... ............... ..... 365
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SALLUST (86 -35 BC)
A Cal! to Revolution ... ......... .... ...... ... .......... .. .. .......... .. 374
King Jugurtha Travels to Rome ... ........ ......... ........... ...... .. ... . 385
VIRGIL (70- 19 BC)
Singing Contest ....................................................... 393
Creation of the World and of Humankind ................................... 399
Expropriation ........... .............. ...... ...... ..... .. ..... ..... .. . 403
Dido's Death ............. .. ..... ......... ................ ........ .... 406
Descent into the Underworld ..... .... .............. ....... .. ... .... ...... 418
HORACE (65 -8 BC)
Grass Js Always Greener on the Other Side ................................. 429
The Bore ...... ..... .............. .... ..... .... ....... ..... ... ... ..... 434
City Mouse, Country Mouse ............................................. 438
The Nouveau Riche ......... .. ..... ........ ... ... .. ... .. ............... 442
The Poet's Outlook .................. ........ .. .. ........ .. .... .... ..... 446
The Golden Mean ...... ...... .... ............................. .... .... 448
Invitation to the Countryside ... .. ... ....... .. ... ..... .................... 450
LIVY (59 BC-AD 17)
The Origins of Rome ............. ................. ... ............. .... . 454
Hannibal Crosses the Alps ........... .. ...... ................. ..... ...... 465
TIBULLUS (c. 55 - 19 BC)
The Simple Life ..... ... ...................... ... ..... .. ............... 472
War Js a Crime ........... .. .................. .. .. .. ... ...... ..... ... .. 476
Riches Are Useless ..................................................... 479
A Dreamfrom Phoebus ................................................. 481
A Farewell Toast ... .......... .... .......... .. .. ... ................ .. .. 485
OVID (43 BC-AD 17)
Echo and Narcissus .................................................... 489
Philemon and Baucis ......... .... ........... .. ........ .............. ... 495
LUCAN (AD 39 -65)
Caesar and Cleopatra. The Source of the Nile .............................. 502
PETRONIUS (died AD 66)
Magnificence of the Nouveau Riche ... .. ... ... ............................ 515
PLUTARCO (c. AD 45 -125)
Making of a Conqueror ........................... .. ...... ..... .. .. ... .. 523
Portrait of Perie/es. His Domestic Politics. Construction of the Acropolis ......... 529
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Table of Contents
EPICTETUS (c. AD 50 -130)
In What Manner We Ought to Bear Sickness ..... ....... ............ ..... ... 542
What Solitude Is, and What Kind of Persan a Solitary Man Is .. ....... .. .... .... 544
Against Those Who Lament over Being Pitied .... ..... ... .... .. ... .. ..... ... 546
What Things We Ought to Despise, And What Things We Ought to Value ..... .. ... 550
Against or to Those Who Readily Tell The ir Own Affairs ............. .. .... .. .. 554
TACITUS (c. AD 56 - 116)
Customs and Institutions of the Germans ... .......... ....... ............... 558
SUETONIUS (c. AD 70 -130)
Caesar at War. His Courage, Severity, and Clemency ........ ..... ............ 570
Nero's Debauchery. Murder of His Mother. Great Fire of Rome .... ..... ... ..... 577
LUCIAN (c. AD 120 - 180)
Voyage to the Moon ... ... ...... ... ........ ....... ...................... 587
MARCUS AURELIUS (AD 121 -180)
Autobiography of a Stoic ... .. ... .... ............... ..................... 596
Notes ................. ... ... .. ...... .. .. ... .. .... ... ... ............. 602
Chronological Chart of the Greco-Roman World ... . ....... .. .. .. .... ..... 616
Select Greek Gods and Their Roman Equivalents .. .. .. .. .... ... ... ... ... ... 620
Further Reading .......... ......... .. .... .... ........ .... ...... ... .. 622
vi
LIVY
LIVY
59 BC-AD 17
Born at Padua into a family of local dignitaries, Livy dedicated his life to study
and research. According to Seneca, he wrote philosophical treatises and dialogues
early on that were as much about philosophy as they were about history. The great
achievement of his !ife, however, was the Ab Urbe condita libri, in which he
attempted to account for al! of Roman history in 142 books, beginning with the
landing ofA eneas on Italy's shores. Death prevented himfrom completing his work,
which got only as far as 9 BC with the murder of Drusus, the brother of Emperor
Tiberius.
From this immense corpus, only 36 complete books and additional fragments
have be en preserved. Pessimism mixed with Stoicism emanates from the first books.
It se ems that Livy bega n writing at the time of the war between Octavian and Mark
Antony, as his tone is shaped by the recent conflict that tore apart Rome. When
Octavian triumphed, Livy joined his camp and later advised the young Claudius.
As a historian, Livy used compilations of ancient chroniclers but also depended
heavily on his intuition. His work suffers from his extreme nationalistic feelings and
also from his condescending attitude toward various peoples, such as the
Carthaginians. Faithful to the classical historiography of his times, he peppered his
works with eloquent yet unauthentic speeches. Nonetheless, his success in
posterity-from Velleius Paterculus to Lucan, from Plutarch to Cassius Dio, and
from Dante to Machiavelli- pays hamage to the richness of his narrative.
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LIVY: The Origins of Rome
The Origins of Rome
Livy, History of Rome 1.1-10
Only two Trojans escaped the war safe and sound, at /east according to Livy:
Antenor, who founded Padua in Venetia (the city where Livy was born), and Aeneas,
who landed in Latium on the Tyrrhenian shore of Italy and established the city of
Lavinium. There, Aeneas married an indigenous woman andfathered aline ofkings.
The most famous of them, Romulus, would one day found Rome with his twin brother
Remus. First inhabited by shepherds and brigands married to women kidnapped
from the nearby Sabine people, the city would acquire power nearly equal to that of
the gods. So follows the legend of the foundation of Rome in the year 753 BC.
"Anger unaccompanied by strength is fruitless."
To begin with, it is generally admitted that, after the taking of Troy, while ali the
other Trojans were treated with severity, in the case of two, LEneas and Antenor, the
Greeks forbore to exercise the full rights of war, both on account of an ancient tie of
hospitality, and because they had persistently recommended peace and the restora
tion of Helen; and then Antenor, after various vicissitudes, reached the inmost bay
of the Adriatic Sea, accompanied by a body of the Eneti, who had been driven from
Paphlagonia I by civil dis turban ce, and were in search both of a place of settlement
and a leader, their chief Pyla:menes having perished at Troy; and that the Eneti and
Trojans, having driven out the Euganei, who dwelt between the sea and the Alps,
occupied these districts. In fact, the place where they first landed is called Troy, and
from this it is named the Trojan canton. The nation as a whole is called Veneti.
It is also agreed that LEneas, an exile from home owing to a like misfortune, but
conducted by the fates to the founding of a greater empire, came first to Macedonia,
that he was then driven ashore at Sicily in his quest for a settlement, and sailing
thence directed his course to the territory of Laurentum. This spot also bears the
name of Troy. When the Trojans, having disembarked there, were driving off booty
from the country, as was only natural, seeing that they had nothing left but their arms
and ships after their almost boundless wandering, Latinus the king and the
Aborigines, who then occupied these districts, assembled in arms from the city and
country to repel the violence of the new-corners. In regard to what followed there is
a twofold tradition. Sorne say that Latinus, having been defeated in battle, first made
peace and then concluded an alliance with LEneas; others, that when the armies had
taken up their position in order of battle, before the trumpets sounded, Latinus
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LIVY: The Origins of Rome
advanced to the front, and invited the leader of the strangers to a conference. He then
inquired what manner of men they were, whence they had come, for what reasons
they had left their home, and in quest of what they had landed on Laurentine terri
tory. After he beard that the host were Trojans, their chief JEneas, the son of
Anchises and Venus, and that, exiled from home, their country having been
destroyed by fire, they were seeking a seulement and a site for building a city, struck
with admiration both at the noble character of the nation and the hero, and at their
spirit, ready alike for peace or war, he ratified the pledge of future friendship by
clasping bands. Thereupon a treaty was concluded between the chiefs, and mutual
greetings passed between the armies. JEneas was hospitably entertained at the bouse
of Latinus; there Latinus, in the presence of his household gods, cemented the public
league by a family one, by giving JEneas his daughter in marriage. This event fully
confirmed the Trojans in the hope of at length tenninating their wanderings by a
lasting and permanent seUlement. They built a town, which JEneas called Lavinium
after the name of his wife. Shortly afterward also, a son was the issue of the recently
concluded marriage, to whom his parents gave the name of Ascanius.
Aborigines and Trojans were soon afterward the joint abjects of a hostile auack.
Tumus, king of the Rutulians, to whom Lavinia bad been affianced be fore the arrivai
of JEneas, indignant that a stranger had been prefened to himself, had made war on
JEneas and Latinus together. Neither army came out of the struggle with satisfaction.
The Rutulians were vanquished: the victorious Aborigines and Trojans lost their
leader Latinus. Thereupon Tumus and the Rutulians, mistrustful of their strength,
had recourse to the prosperous and powerful Etruscans, and their king Mezentius,
whose seat of government was at Crere, at that time a flourishing town. Even from
the outset he had viewed with dissatisfaction the founding of a new city, and, as at
that time he considered that the Trojan power was increasing far more than was alto
gether consistent with the safety of the neighbouring peoples, he readily joined his
forces in alliance with the Rutulians. JEneas, to gain the good-will of the Aborigines
in face of a war so serious and alarming, and in arder that they might ali be not only
under the same laws but might also bear the same name, called both nations Latins.
In fact, subsequently, the Aborigines were not behind the Trojans in zeal and loyalty
toward their king JEneas. Accordingly, in full reliance on this state of mind of the
two nations, who were daily becoming more and more united, and in spite of the fact
that Etruria was so powerful, that at this time it bad filled with the fame of its
renown not only the land but the sea also, throughout the whole length of Ital y from
the Alps to the Sicilian Strait, JEneas led out his forces into the field, although he
might have repelled their auack by means of his fortifications. Thereupon a baule
was fought, in which victory rested with the Latins, but for JEneas it was even the
last of his acts on earth. He, by whatever name laws human and divine demand he
455