The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
Times Media

.

a new book on the best lines in Latin misses the bigger picture

  • Written by Caillan Davenport, Associate Professor of Classics and Head of the Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University
a new book on the best lines in Latin misses the bigger picture

One of my favourite Roman artefacts to show visiting school groups or beginner’s Latin classes is a floor mosaic from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii. The mosaic depicts a chained dog accompanied by the Latin words, CAVE CANEM (“beware of the dog”).

The cute familiarity of the image never fails to generate a chuckle or two. But importantly, it provides me with an opening to explore more important issues with the students, from Roman social history to the intricacies of the Latin imperative (used for commands and entreaties, like “beware”!)

Cave Canem: mosaic at the House of the Tragic Poet. Wikimedia Commons

Latin is perhaps most familiar today as the language of practical short-cuts (etc, e.g., i.e.) and quotable lines, beloved by creators of school mottos and political speechwriters alike.

Harry Mount and John Davie’s book, Et tu, Brute? The Best Latin Lines Ever[1], brings together many of Latin’s greatest hits, from “Fortune favours the brave” to “Who will guard the guards?” But collecting the lines is easy – the difficulty is trying to work out what they add up to.

Review: Et tu, Brute? The Best Latin Lines Ever – Harry Mount and John Davie (Bloomsbury)

Mount and Davie take the easy way out. “The fundamental reason for reading Latin is because it’s the language of Western civilization,” they write.

I couldn’t disagree more. We should read Latin because it is fun, challenging, amusing, and exciting, not because it forms part of any putative “inheritance” of the West.

But for these authors, Latin exists within a very limited thought-world. Yes, the book contains some funerary inscriptions and graffiti, and the occasional early modern philosopher, but again and again the authors return to the poetry and prose of the late Republic and early imperial period, which have long been the staple of English public (read: private) school and university (especially Oxbridge) curricula.

There is no doubt that within these traditional boundaries, Mount and Davie know their stuff. We are treated to the poetry of Catullus, Horace and Propertius, the satires and epigrams of Juvenal and Martial, and the histories and biographies of Tacitus and Suetonius.

Cicero’s speeches are likewise combed for memorable lines, from the instantly recognisable Cui bono (“Who benefits?”)[2] to his invectives against Mark Antony[3].

Read more: Guide to the classics: Tacitus' Annals and its enduring portrait of monarchical power[4]

The translations themselves are witty and evocative, but the contextual material is often weak or lacking. Catullus’s Poem 16[5], which comes billed as “the rudest poem in Latin”, features raw, confronting, sexually violent language. Yet there is no discussion of why Catullus uses such shocking obscenities or of the purposes of sexual invective in Latin.

The treatment of Ovid, most famous for his Art of Love[6], is little better. While the authors acknowledge that his sexual advice – that young men should take advantage of drunk women and rape them – is “evil” and “wicked”, they also state that Ovid “wouldn’t last a second these days”, as if modern cancel culture is the problem, rather than the poet’s own words.

Read more: Guide to the classics: Ovid's Metamorphoses and reading rape[7]

I acknowledge that, as a university academic who thinks, writes, and teaches about the Romans on a daily basis, I am not the intended audience for this book. Instead, it is clearly aimed at the general reader with no prior knowledge of Latin and Roman history, or those with long-buried school Latin, eager to reacquaint themselves with the language. But I think these readers deserve better than what Mount and Davie have to offer.

Women, in particular, come off badly in this book. This is admittedly, partly the result of the fact that most surviving Latin literature was written by men. But there is something decidedly uncomfortable about the parade of female lovers, goddesses, and Pompeiian sex workers offered here, which is not really alleviated by the inclusion of the famous letter from Vindolanda[8] in which an officer’s wife invites another woman to her birthday party.

Perpetua as depicted in the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Croatia
Perpetua as depicted in the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Croatia. Wikimedia Commons

I missed texts like The Passion of Perpetua[9], which contains the first-hand account of a young Christian woman from North Africa, written while awaiting execution at the imperial games in the early third century AD. One cannot but helped be moved by Perpetua’s account of her separation from her baby, whom she was still breastfeeding.

After being granted permission to keep her child with her, Perpetua wrote: “prison was immediately transformed into a palace for me, so that I preferred to be there than anywhere else” (factus est mihi carcer subito praetorium, ut ibi mallem esse quam alicubi).

The resonance of these heartfelt words only increases when Perpetua abandons her child, and her life, for her Christian faith.

The rise of Christianity and the entire course of Roman history after the early second century is not well treated by Mount and Davie. Their account of Roman emperors comes to a sputtering halt with the reign of Domitian, erroneously credited with fighting against the Sarmatians “in modern Iran” – actually eastern Europe. A famous (and misleading) quotation from Edward Gibbon[10] about the age of the Antonines then suffices for the next hundred years or so. The poetry, panegyric, and pilgrim’s tales of the vibrant world of Late Antiquity are all but absent. Had they been included we could have journeyed to Persia with the soldier-historian Ammianus Marcellinus[11] or to the Holy Land with the Christian woman Egeria[12]. Most of Et tu, Brute? could have been written decades ago with nary a word being changed. Our understanding and appreciation of Latin and Roman culture has long moved on, for the better. Caveat emptor (“Let the buyer beware”). References^ Et tu, Brute? The Best Latin Lines Ever (www.bloomsbury.com)^ Cui bono (“Who benefits?”) (www.collinsdictionary.com)^ invectives against Mark Antony (www.perseus.tufts.edu)^ Guide to the classics: Tacitus' Annals and its enduring portrait of monarchical power (theconversation.com)^ Poem 16 (diotima-doctafemina.org)^ Art of Love (www.goodreads.com)^ Guide to the classics: Ovid's Metamorphoses and reading rape (theconversation.com)^ letter from Vindolanda (romaninscriptionsofbritain.org)^ The Passion of Perpetua (www.britannica.com)^ quotation from Edward Gibbon (www.ccel.org)^ Ammianus Marcellinus (www.britannica.com)^ Egeria (www.ccel.org)

Read more https://theconversation.com/caveat-emptor-a-new-book-on-the-best-lines-in-latin-misses-the-bigger-picture-203137

The Times Features

Amazon Australia and DoorDash announce two-year DashPass offer only for Prime members

New and existing Prime members in Australia can enjoy a two-year membership to DashPass for free, and gain access to AU$0 delivery fees on eligible DoorDash orders New offer co...

6 things to do if your child’s weight is beyond the ideal range – and 1 thing to avoid

One of the more significant challenges we face as parents is making sure our kids are growing at a healthy rate. To manage this, we take them for regular check-ups with our GP...

Joykids Australia Presents the Joykids Family Rave: A Weekend Adventure Like No Other

Get ready to kick off the first day of summer and the festive season with an unforgettable family adventure! Joykids Australia is excited to announce the Joykids Family Rave—an...

New study suggests weight loss drugs like Ozempic could help with knee pain. Here’s why there may be a link

The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was originally developed[1] to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. How...

Maintaining Your Pool After a Marble Interior Upgrade

After upgrading your pool with a marble interior, it’s crucial to understand that maintenance is key to preserving its elegance and longevity. You’ll want to regularly skim for d...

Labor using explanatory document to hide true powers of Misinformation Bill

The opinions and commentary of individuals could be deemed misinformation under Labor’s proposed legislation changes, according to James McComish of Victorian Bar. Appearing in...

Times Magazine

Types of Hot Water Systems: Different types of systems and the advantages

1. Electric: Electric hot-water systems are the simplest and most common type of hot water system. They work by circulating heated water through a tank filled with cold water using electricity as the heat source. The electric current heats the wa...

Quick Guide to Buying a Canopy Tent for Small Business Owners

Small businesses find it hard to afford conventional advertising because it is expensive and entails a lot of waste. Small business owners invariably find participating in trade fairs, exhibitions, fairs, and other outdoor events more productive ...

Everything You Need to Know About Stretch Films

Concerned about product damage in shipping? Using stretch film to secure your products and pallets against shipping accidents and environmental damage is a good investment. Your products will arrive safely at their destination, and they’re prote...

Photovoltaic in a condominium: what you need to know

In recent years, photovoltaics in Australia has experienced strong growth. The increase in the number of installations is mainly due to the fact that solar energy allows you to save on bills thanks to self-consumption, which can reach 90% with a ...

How Branded Gazebos Can Transform Your Marketing Strategy and Customer Experience

In the grand tapestry of marketing tools and strategies, branded gazebos stand out—not just literally, but metaphorically, like beacons of brand identity in a sea of sameness. While one might consider a printed marquee or custom gazebo as just a sh...

Managing Your Online Reputation: Strategies for Removing Negative Content

Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for individuals and businesses in today's digital age. However, negative content such as negative reviews, defamatory posts, or outdated information can tarnish your reputation and harm your credi...