Roman Verse and Satire

by Susanna Morton Braund

New Surveys in the Classics are annual supplements to the journal Greece & Rome, published by OUP on behalf of the Classical Association. Each New Survey takes a systematic look at a larger theme in classical art and society, offering an accessible overview suitable for the general reader as well as the student. In this issue Susan H. Braund surveys Roman verse satire from its origins to its apogee in the work of Lucilias, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal.

65 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 1992

About the author

Susanna H. Morton Braund (born 6 February 1957) is a professor of Latin poetry and its reception at the University of British Columbia.

Reviews

[Ulrike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genuinely an unforgiveable vagueness of terms in pages 43-44 in the Juvenal section, which might have been forgiveable had Braund actually quoted the relevant Latin. I know it was the 90s and maybe they had a less nuanced conception of Roman constructions of masculinity, but conflating obscenus and cinaedus and saying they both mean the modern idea of homosexuality while NOT QUOTING THE LATIN is insane to me. Sure, just use your own translations (translating obscenus as 'sodomite' I would disagree with, see Adams, The Latin Sexual Vocabulary p. 35-36, it's a far broader term), don't quote any of the Latin, and use a modern concept that the Romans didn't have, I'm sure there will be no obscurity at all and these paragraphs will be really illuminating. Let's be clear!! We're not actually talking about the modern idea of homosexuality. I like Braund but couldn't she explore the actual dynamics, characterisations and stereotypes at play here?

It's just inconvenient really I was computerless and in a Juvenalless library so I had to wait until I finished the book to go back up to my room and confirm that he hadn't suddenly invented homosexuality. Anyways the rest was fine I guess.