Texts and contexts

The purpose of this work is to identify those classics of Roman literature which deserve to survive because of their intrinsic quality and their lasting significance. The most important of these texts are placed in the context of the tradition which each represents and which each group of texts, taken together, constitutes. Four main streams of tradition are identified: the poet as storyteller (narrative poetry and drama), the poet as teacher (didactic poetry), the poet as himself (personal poetry and the poetry of social comment), and Roman literary prose. Each major text is presented in the form of one or more passages of substantial length for analysis in detail and comparison with related works. The translations used include leading literary translations since the sixteenth century. The result is a history of Roman literature in which the emphasis is laid on the quality of the texts discussed rather than on comprehensiveness of treatment, and on organic relationships rather than on chronology.