An Anthology of Neo-Latin Poetry by Classical Scholars - (Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series: Early Modern Texts and Anthologies)

About the Book

"Presenting a range of Neo-Latin poems written by distinguished classical scholars across Europe from c. 1490 to c. 1900, this anthology includes a selection of celebrated names in the history of scholarship. Individual chapters present the Neo-Latin poems alongside new English translations (usually the first) and accompanying introductions and commentaries that annotate these verses for a modern readership, and contextualise them within the careers of their authors and the history of classical scholarship in the Renaissance and early modern period"--

Book Synopsis

Presenting a range of Neo-Latin poems written by distinguished classical scholars across Europe from c. 1490 to c. 1900, this anthology includes a selection of celebrated names in the history of scholarship. Individual chapters present the Neo-Latin poems alongside new English translations (usually the first) and accompanying introductions and commentaries that annotate these verses for a modern readership, and contextualise them within the careers of their authors and the history of classical scholarship in the Renaissance and early modern period.

An appealing feature of Renaissance and early modern Latinity is the composition of fine Neo-Latin poetry by major classical scholars, and the interface between this creative work and their scholarly research. In some cases, the two are actually combined in the same work. In others, the creative composition and scholarship accompany each other along parallel tracks, when scholars are moved to write their own verse in the style of the subjects of their academic endeavours. In still further cases, early modern scholars produced fine Latin verse as a result of the act of translation, as they attempted to render ancient Greek poetry in a fitting poetic form for their contemporary readers of Latin.

Review Quotes

"The collection is varied, with some excellent poems that give us a look at how some of our long-ago colleagues spent their leisure time. The translations are clear and accurate and the notes fill in the background a reader might need ... The bibliographies to each chapter are full and helpful. The book could be a gentle introduction to Renaissance scholarship or to Neo-Latin poetry. For a reader who is already acquainted with one or both of those areas, it is simply a fun read." --Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"[An Anthology of Neo-Latin Poetry by Classical Scholars] offer[s] unique insights into the long-forgotten poetry that has had such a major influence in shaping the English language." --Sun News Austin

"This volume will be a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the history of literature, education and scholarship." --L. B. T. Houghton, Honorary Research Fellow in Greek and Latin, University College London, UK

"This is a very attractive volume, with some well-chosen texts and exemplary discussions. The central point ... is conclusively demonstrated." --International Journal of the Classical Tradition

About the Author

William Barton is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Classical Philology and Neo-Latin Studies, University of Innsbruck, Austria. He is a co-editor of the Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series.

Stephen Harrison is Professor of Latin Literature at the University of Oxford, UK, Senior Research Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and a co-editor of the Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series.

Gesine Manuwald is Professor of Latin at University College London, UK, and President of the Society for Neo-Latin Studies (SNLS). She is a co-editor of the Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series.

Bobby Xinyue is Lecturer in Roman Culture at King's College London, UK, and a co-editor of the Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series.