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  • Published: 1 June 1984
  • ISBN: 9780140444193
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 144
  • RRP: $22.99
Categories:

The Eclogues




Deeply sensitive and faithful to the original work, Guy Lee's verse translation is here paralleled by the original Latin text.

Haunting and enigmatic, Virgil's Eclogues combined a Greek literary form with scenes from contemporary Roman life to create a work that inspired a whole European tradition of pastoral poetry. For despite their rustic setting and the beauty of their phrasing, the poems in Virgil's first collection are also grounded in reality. Shepherds are overwhelmed by the torments of poetic love - but they must also endure such real-life events as the tragic consequences of Julius Caesar's murder in 44 bc and a civil war. In giving unforgettable expression to the disasters of the day through poetry, the Eclogues paved the way for the Georgics and the Aeneid, the two greatest works of Latin literature, and are also a major masterpiece in their own right.

  • Published: 1 June 1984
  • ISBN: 9780140444193
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 144
  • RRP: $22.99
Categories:

Other books in the series

The New Penguin Book Of American Short Stories, From Washington Irving To Lydia Davis
A Dog's Heart
The Black Tulip
The Lady of the Camellias
Selected Poetry
On Sparta
Venus in Furs
Man and Superman
Botchan
Military Dispatches

About the authors

Virgil

Virgil (70–19 BCE) was the preeminent poet of Augustan Rome, whose works redefined the Latin literary tradition. His magnum opus, the Aeneid, established a foundational national myth for Rome, linking its origins to the survivors of Troy. Beyond this epic, his Eclogues and Georgics showcased a mastery of pastoral and didactic verse. Revered for his technical precision and profound exploration of fate and duty, Virgil’s influence endured through the Middle Ages, famously serving as Dante’s guide in the Divine Comedy.