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The Pharsalia of Lucan, Vol. 1
Excerpt from The Pharsalia of Lucan, Vol. 1: Translated by Right Hon. Sir Edward Ridley
Scythian Ocean traversed by horses and chariots; but the simile is preceded and followed by two lengthy descriptions of the calm which are quite as graphic as the simile and overpower it by their detail. Again, in the bulk of the similes themselves there is not any great poetical beauty. Taken, as they often are, from unattractive mythological stories, or wild beasts, or nature in convulsion, it could hardly have been otherwise. Nor do they suggest to the reader that the Poet had himself seen what he describes. Yet they are in many instances bold and effective. The chief exception to what has been said will be found in the passage (book I. 154) where Pompey is compared to the old oak, which, from its own beauty and fidelity to nature, must remain in the memory, although like the others it is accompanied by a vivid and memorable description of the hero.
It was necessary to the plot of the poem that Pompey should have acted as champion of the Senate, and that he should have been the deserving victor in the war. Un fortunately he was neither the one nor the other, and the poem suffers accordingly, as may readily be shown.
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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Scythian Ocean traversed by horses and chariots; but the simile is preceded and followed by two lengthy descriptions of the calm which are quite as graphic as the simile and overpower it by their detail. Again, in the bulk of the similes themselves there is not any great poetical beauty. Taken, as they often are, from unattractive mythological stories, or wild beasts, or nature in convulsion, it could hardly have been otherwise. Nor do they suggest to the reader that the Poet had himself seen what he describes. Yet they are in many instances bold and effective. The chief exception to what has been said will be found in the passage (book I. 154) where Pompey is compared to the old oak, which, from its own beauty and fidelity to nature, must remain in the memory, although like the others it is accompanied by a vivid and memorable description of the hero.
It was necessary to the plot of the poem that Pompey should have acted as champion of the Senate, and that he should have been the deserving victor in the war. Un fortunately he was neither the one nor the other, and the poem suffers accordingly, as may readily be shown.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
303 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2020
About the author
Lucan
224 books45 followersMarcus Annaeus Lucanus, better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial Latin period. His youth and speed of composition set him apart from other poets.
A.k.a. Lucain.
A.k.a. Lucain.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 12, 2026
bangerrrr
April 5, 2025
Long recognised as a massive influence on the Shakespeare Henry VI plays, Marlowe's translation of the first book of Lucan's Pharsalia/The Civil Wars seems to me to have so many verbal echoes in Shakespeare's later Macbeth that I have a suspicion Shakey had a copy of this translation to hand when he wrote Macbeth. As the book was planned to be printed in 1593, he might even have seen it earlier.
Whether this is true or not, or merely my Macbeth-head is fooling me, this is a propulsive translation of Lucan: Marlowe's "mighty line" really works with Lucan's angry retelling of the pointlessness of this civil war: driven entirely by the arrogance of two men (Caesar and Pompey), destruction, death, chaos and corruption fall on the whole known world.
Well worth a read.
Whether this is true or not, or merely my Macbeth-head is fooling me, this is a propulsive translation of Lucan: Marlowe's "mighty line" really works with Lucan's angry retelling of the pointlessness of this civil war: driven entirely by the arrogance of two men (Caesar and Pompey), destruction, death, chaos and corruption fall on the whole known world.
Well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews