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History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. I — John Shaqi

History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. IDunlop, John Colin

History

History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. I

Name: History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. I
Author: Dunlop, John Colin

Dunlop, John Colin

Latin literature -- History and criticism

The composition of the present volumes was not suggested by any of the
works which I have mentioned on the subject of Roman literature; but by
the perusal of an elegant, though somewhat superficial production, on “The
Civil and Constitutional History of Rome, from its Foundation to the Age
of Augustus(8).” It occurred to me that a History of Roman _Literature_,
during the same period, might prove not uninteresting. There are three
great ages in the literary history of Rome—that which precedes the æra of
Augustus—the epoch which is stamped with the name of that emperor—and the
interval which commenced immediately after his death, and may be
considered as extending to the destruction of Rome. Of these periods, the
first and second run into each other with respect to dates, but the
difference in their spirit and taste may be easily distinguished. Although
Cicero died during the triumvirate of Octavius, his genius breathes only
the spirit of the Republic; and though Virgil and Horace were born during
the subsistence of the commonwealth, their writings bear the character of
monarchical influence.

The ensuing volumes include only the first of these successive periods.
Whether I shall hereafter proceed to investigate the history of the
others, will depend on the reception which the present effort may obtain,
and on other circumstances which I am equally unable to anticipate.

                              * * * * * * *

MEANWHILE, I have made considerable alterations, and, I trust,
improvements, in the present edition. These, however, are so much
interwoven with the body of the work, that they cannot be specified—except
some additional Translations from the Fragments of the older Latin poets—a
Dissertation on the _Tachygraphy_, or short-hand writing of the Romans,
introduced at the commencement of the Appendix—and a Critical Account of
Cicero’s Dialogue _De Republica_, which, though discovered, had not issued
from the press when the former edition was published.






                                *HISTORY*


                                    OF


                         *ROMAN LITERATURE, &C.*


             “Parva quoque, ut ferme principia omnia, et ea ipsa peregrina
                                                               res fuit.”
                                                     LIVY, lib. vii. c. 2.





                                *HISTORY*


                                    OF


                         *ROMAN LITERATURE, &c.*

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History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. I

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