What do you think?
Rate this book
Lucani opera (Scriptores graeci et latini)
Latin
- GenresAncient History
475 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1654
20 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Lucan
213 books42 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 4, 2020
LUCAIN Les Œuvres
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (39 – 65)
Translated into French by M de Marolles – Abbé de Villeloin (1600-1681).
In checking out the translator, I found him to be a VIP of translations from the Latin classics into French of the 16th century.
He translated not only religious works like prayer chaplets, the Old and New Testament, but also historical and cultural literature.
Seneca, Terence, Plautus, Statius, Lucan, Virgilio, Horace, Ovid, Martial, Juvenal, Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius and Petronius.
The ‘History of the Francs’, by Gregoire of Tours, and notably, the first translation into French of Lucretius’s ‘De Rerum Natura’.
Lucan, our author, was born from a noble, if not a wealthy Spanish family, Seneca was his uncle, he had the best of aristocratic education, including a year in Athens to learn Greek in language and philosophy.
He wrote poetry from the age of fifteen and got adopted int Nero’s close circle of courtesans and was rewarded underage with critical administrative functions.
However, one day, he got himself accused of being part of a plot against Nero.
Nero condemned him to death by ordered suicide. He was only 26 at that time.
The epic poem Pharsalia relates to the civil war between Caesar & Pompey -49 -48 BC.
This war went on for about four years and spread from northern Europe to Italy to Epirus at first and then to Thessalia.
There, in the plains of Pharsalia, the decisive battle took place.
The two opposing forces assembled over three-hundred thousand men not counting the foreign armies requisitioned by Pompey from the neighbouring Nations.
Pompey had gathered more powerful forces but lost the battle.
In Lucan’s words, Pompey did not want to win a battle opposing Romans against the Romans.
The winner would have the shame, not the glory.
Throughout the poem, our author had chosen sides in favour of Pompey, the legitimate leader of the Roman Nation.
It is the first time I read a book with Caesar described as the villain, the traitor, the terrorist, the imposter, the future dictator.
As Lucan knew the outcome of the conflict, he reminds the reader on several occasions that it was Brutus’s destiny to end Cesar's reign.
Written about one hundred years after the event, Lucan must have studied numerous historical supports and completed them with his poetical genius.
He painted the most colourful pictures of events in chronological order, but not exclusively so, his style and extensive knowledge of geography, history, politics and philosophy introducing wonderful digressions in all directions.
Caesar had been waging a conquering war for ten years against the Nations of the North, the Gaul’s and Germans.
In the end, he grew increasingly unsatisfied with the lack of recognition of his victories and hardships endured, while Pompey reigned comfortably as Consul undisputed in Rome.
What looked like rampages at first, became a war that spread from Northern Italy to Marseilles, to Spain and then to Rome and onwards south across the Mediterranean.
The land and sea battles around Marseilles, the ancient Greek colony, give pages of dramatic descriptions of heroic resistance and bloody defeat of the poor people of this city who had wanted to remain neutral.
While Brutus was winning this aggression, Cesar went to Spain in search for Pompey's legions.
Destiny and favourable weather conditions made this, after lots of bloodsheds, seemingly a comfortable victory.
When Caesar headed for Rome, on rumours of the cruelties of the invading legions of Cesar, the Romans fled their city.
So, Caesar simply declared himself Consul. He had the doors of the public treasury broken down and took all the sacred treasures the city of Rome had hoarded for centuries.
Then he set out to follow Pompey to fight and defeat him wherever he would find him.
Pompey had fled to Brindisi, in the South. He needed time to organize an army capable of opposing Caesar’s legions. He sent out his son to provinces and loyal Nations to persuade them to join the battle against the menacing dictator.
Lucan gives the reader a large and colourful fresco of the battle of Pharsalia, well comparable to Homer’s battle of Troy.
Then following Pompey on his flight to Lesbos to reunite with his wife Cornelia, and further to his final tragic destiny in Egypt, Lucan knows how to paint emotional pictures page after page.
Caton had become the leader and refuge for the defeated army of Pompey. He took them through the desert of Libya among dangers of poisonous snakes, sizzling heat and sandstorms of unknown violence and dimensions. These pages open a chapter of little-known events in Cato’s life and engagements. He always defends law and order of the still free Roman republic.
Cesar's arrival in Egypt long after Pompey's murder opens the last book of the poem.
Ptolemy, the child king and brother/husband of Cleopatra hoped for Cesar to be grateful when he presented him with Pompey’s head.
Instead, Cesar was upset and even spent tears; he wanted to have Pompey in his power to forgive him or maybe humiliate him.
Cleopatra’s charms and efforts of seduction brought Cesar quickly under her control.
The dinner at the royal palace shining in gold and riches impressed the Roman guests but also gave them a measure of what oriental culture could ad to their roman style of life.
During the night of the feast, a devilish high priest orchestrated an uprising of the Egyptian population against Cesar.
Having murdered Pompey, he thought it the right moment also to kill Caesar.
Cesar was not surrounded by his usual bodyguard to help protect him. He had to rely on his strength and skill to survive.
The poem ends amid this fight.
This work of Lucan deserves to be known as one of the pillars of Latin Classic Literature.
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (39 – 65)
Translated into French by M de Marolles – Abbé de Villeloin (1600-1681).
In checking out the translator, I found him to be a VIP of translations from the Latin classics into French of the 16th century.
He translated not only religious works like prayer chaplets, the Old and New Testament, but also historical and cultural literature.
Seneca, Terence, Plautus, Statius, Lucan, Virgilio, Horace, Ovid, Martial, Juvenal, Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius and Petronius.
The ‘History of the Francs’, by Gregoire of Tours, and notably, the first translation into French of Lucretius’s ‘De Rerum Natura’.
Lucan, our author, was born from a noble, if not a wealthy Spanish family, Seneca was his uncle, he had the best of aristocratic education, including a year in Athens to learn Greek in language and philosophy.
He wrote poetry from the age of fifteen and got adopted int Nero’s close circle of courtesans and was rewarded underage with critical administrative functions.
However, one day, he got himself accused of being part of a plot against Nero.
Nero condemned him to death by ordered suicide. He was only 26 at that time.
The epic poem Pharsalia relates to the civil war between Caesar & Pompey -49 -48 BC.
This war went on for about four years and spread from northern Europe to Italy to Epirus at first and then to Thessalia.
There, in the plains of Pharsalia, the decisive battle took place.
The two opposing forces assembled over three-hundred thousand men not counting the foreign armies requisitioned by Pompey from the neighbouring Nations.
Pompey had gathered more powerful forces but lost the battle.
In Lucan’s words, Pompey did not want to win a battle opposing Romans against the Romans.
The winner would have the shame, not the glory.
Throughout the poem, our author had chosen sides in favour of Pompey, the legitimate leader of the Roman Nation.
It is the first time I read a book with Caesar described as the villain, the traitor, the terrorist, the imposter, the future dictator.
As Lucan knew the outcome of the conflict, he reminds the reader on several occasions that it was Brutus’s destiny to end Cesar's reign.
Written about one hundred years after the event, Lucan must have studied numerous historical supports and completed them with his poetical genius.
He painted the most colourful pictures of events in chronological order, but not exclusively so, his style and extensive knowledge of geography, history, politics and philosophy introducing wonderful digressions in all directions.
Caesar had been waging a conquering war for ten years against the Nations of the North, the Gaul’s and Germans.
In the end, he grew increasingly unsatisfied with the lack of recognition of his victories and hardships endured, while Pompey reigned comfortably as Consul undisputed in Rome.
What looked like rampages at first, became a war that spread from Northern Italy to Marseilles, to Spain and then to Rome and onwards south across the Mediterranean.
The land and sea battles around Marseilles, the ancient Greek colony, give pages of dramatic descriptions of heroic resistance and bloody defeat of the poor people of this city who had wanted to remain neutral.
While Brutus was winning this aggression, Cesar went to Spain in search for Pompey's legions.
Destiny and favourable weather conditions made this, after lots of bloodsheds, seemingly a comfortable victory.
When Caesar headed for Rome, on rumours of the cruelties of the invading legions of Cesar, the Romans fled their city.
So, Caesar simply declared himself Consul. He had the doors of the public treasury broken down and took all the sacred treasures the city of Rome had hoarded for centuries.
Then he set out to follow Pompey to fight and defeat him wherever he would find him.
Pompey had fled to Brindisi, in the South. He needed time to organize an army capable of opposing Caesar’s legions. He sent out his son to provinces and loyal Nations to persuade them to join the battle against the menacing dictator.
Lucan gives the reader a large and colourful fresco of the battle of Pharsalia, well comparable to Homer’s battle of Troy.
Then following Pompey on his flight to Lesbos to reunite with his wife Cornelia, and further to his final tragic destiny in Egypt, Lucan knows how to paint emotional pictures page after page.
Caton had become the leader and refuge for the defeated army of Pompey. He took them through the desert of Libya among dangers of poisonous snakes, sizzling heat and sandstorms of unknown violence and dimensions. These pages open a chapter of little-known events in Cato’s life and engagements. He always defends law and order of the still free Roman republic.
Cesar's arrival in Egypt long after Pompey's murder opens the last book of the poem.
Ptolemy, the child king and brother/husband of Cleopatra hoped for Cesar to be grateful when he presented him with Pompey’s head.
Instead, Cesar was upset and even spent tears; he wanted to have Pompey in his power to forgive him or maybe humiliate him.
Cleopatra’s charms and efforts of seduction brought Cesar quickly under her control.
The dinner at the royal palace shining in gold and riches impressed the Roman guests but also gave them a measure of what oriental culture could ad to their roman style of life.
During the night of the feast, a devilish high priest orchestrated an uprising of the Egyptian population against Cesar.
Having murdered Pompey, he thought it the right moment also to kill Caesar.
Cesar was not surrounded by his usual bodyguard to help protect him. He had to rely on his strength and skill to survive.
The poem ends amid this fight.
This work of Lucan deserves to be known as one of the pillars of Latin Classic Literature.
Displaying 1 of 1 review