pickI'm probably more interested in this book as an artifact than for its contents, which were, nonetheless, interesting.
I picked up this 1901 edition in Durham, and the beautiful inscription shows that it was held by the St. Cuthbert's Society at the university. I can't quite make out the signature, but it looks like J. D. Hall, perhaps.
It was published jointly in Dublin & London, the little bookbinder's sticker suggesting this one was printed ⬇️
This book holds a special place in my heart. It got me through the difficult time of when my father was dying. I‘m not sure how I would have been able to cope without it.
“There is in fact no way of correcting wrongdoing in those who think that the height of virtue consists in the execution of their will.”
"Sovereign power is nothing if it does not care for the welfare of others, and...it is the task of a good ruler to keep his power in check, to resist the passions of unbridled desire and implacable rage."
#SundayFunday @bookmarktavern
definitely with something in mind, I can't browse, it's no good for me, 😂 😂 if I did, I'd come out with the whole store .
Mind you, that doesn't work either, I have 3 translations of The Aeneid, and let's not even get to how many versions of Frankenstein or Romo and Juliet I have - ummm, 7 for the first and 5 for the second, so yeah, no browsing for me 😂
pickHis various letters are illuminating, his Philippic against Antony is furious & damning, and his expositions on Duties & Old Age are still relevant today. The style in his written letters & essays may be more accessible to modern readers than his speeches, which can get long in the tooth. But stick with it. As a window into Ancient Rome & into the mind of the most celebrated orator of his time, his insight is still penetrating & meaningful.
"Life's course is invariable - nature has one path only, and you cannot travel along it more than once. Every stage of life has its own characteristics: boys are feeble, youths in their prime are aggressive, middle-aged men are dignified, old people are mature. Each one of these qualities is ordained by nature for harvesting in due season." - from On Old Age
"Consider the paradox of a person who admits the wickedness of tyrannizing a country....but who nevertheless sees advantage in himself becoming its tyrant if he can....Who, in God's name, could possibly derive advantage from murdering his country? Of all murders that is the most hideous...even when its perpetrator is hailed, by the citizens he has trodden underfoot, as 'Father of his Country'."
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
As for Persius, satires work best when you know their targets, and my knowledge of Neronian Rome lets me down there, despite the internet. However, the vices of his aristocratic and Imperial targets are all too recognisable, so they do work for me on that level. Interesting, and short enough that I might revisit to see what more I can make of them. 2h