The Aeneid
(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
-
-
4.0 • 33 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
From the award-winning translator of The Iliad and The Odyssey comes a brilliant new translation of Virgil's great epic
Fleeing the ashes of Troy, Aeneas, Achilles’ mighty foe in the Iliad, begins an incredible journey to fulfill his destiny as the founder of Rome. His voyage will take him through stormy seas, entangle him in a tragic love affair, and lure him into the world of the dead itself--all the way tormented by the vengeful Juno, Queen of the Gods. Ultimately, he reaches the promised land of Italy where, after bloody battles and with high hopes, he founds what will become the Roman empire. An unsparing portrait of a man caught between love, duty, and fate, the Aeneid redefines passion, nobility, and courage for our times. Robert Fagles, whose acclaimed translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were welcomed as major publishing events, brings the Aeneid to a new generation of readers, retaining all of the gravitas and humanity of the original Latin as well as its powerful blend of poetry and myth. Featuring an illuminating introduction to Virgil’s world by esteemed scholar Bernard Knox, this volume lends a vibrant new voice to one of the seminal literary achievements of the ancient world.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Princeton scholar Fagles follows up his celebrated Iliad and Odyssey with a new, fast-moving, readable rendition of the national epic of ancient Rome. Virgil's long-renowned narrative follows the Trojan warrior Aeneas as he carries his family from his besieged, fallen home, stops in Carthage for a doomed love affair, visits the underworld and founds in Italy, through difficult combat, the settlements that will become, first the Roman republic, and then the empire Virgil knew. Recent translators (such as Allen Mandelbaum) put Virgil's meters into English blank verse. Fagles chooses to forgo meter entirely, which lets him stay literal when he wishes, and grow eloquent when he wants: "Aeneas flies ahead, spurring his dark ranks on and storming/ over the open fields like a cloudburst wiping out the sun." A substantial preface from the eminent classicist Bernard Knox discusses Virgil's place in history, while Fagles himself appends a postscript and notes. Scholars still debate whether Virgil supported or critiqued the empire's expansion; Aeneas' story might prompt new reflection now, when Americans are already thinking about international conflict and the unexpected costs of war.
Customer Reviews
A complex work of art
Fagel's has done a fine translation. However, Virgil's Aeneid should not be read if the reader is unfamiliar with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, since the bard is out to emulate the Chian nightingale. As Joseph Brodsky brilliantly put it: Homer is the only true reader Virgil can have. A funny assertion, since Homer is 800 years dead by the time Publius put stylus to parchment, but one gets what he means.
The only exception to the above warning might be is if your Latin is up to snuff. Virgil writes a brilliant hexameter and the act of translating him into sensible English is a pleasant challenge. A Latinist can see Virgil's brilliance in every turn of phrase.
Disappointing Formatting
The formatting on this edition is very brittle. I’m reading on ibooks for mac, and the lines only look right in the smallest font size — any larger and they will wrap. Also, at larger font sizes, the line numbers will be too close to the (truncated) ends of lines. I really wish I could increase the page width so I could read a nice fat large print edition of this book — instead I’m considering returning this book since I can’t read it without squinting and grumbling.