T. J. Leary – Författare

Although both innovative and engaging, Book XIII of Martial's epigrams, the "Xenia", has generally been neglected. As its name suggests, it is concerned with presents, in particular those given at the Saturnalia by hosts to their dinner guests. Like the Apophoreta, which Martial published next, it comprises independent poetic couplets cast as descriptive gift-tags. Far from being mere verse catalogues, however, these books are highly sophisticated literary compositions. Whereas the Apophoreta encompass many different items, the Xenia are devoted to food and drink, and are carefully ordered to reflect the courses of the cena at which they might have been distributed. This edition contains commentary devoted exclusively to the "Xenia". It combines literary and textual comment with close attention to the social and cultural context, and will therefore be of value not only to specialists in Latin literature but also to anyone interested in the food and festivals of Ancient Rome.

Although both innovative and engaging, Book XIII of Martial's epigrams, the Xenia, has generally been neglected. As its name suggests, it is concerned with presents, in particular those given at the Saturnalia by hosts to their dinner guests. Like the Apophoreta, which Martial published next, it comprises independent poetic couplets cast as descriptive gift-tags. Far from being mere verse catalogues, however, these books are highly sophisticated literary compositions. Whereas the Apophoreta encompass many different items, the Xenia are devoted to food and drink, and are carefully ordered to reflect the courses of the cena at which they might have been distributed. This edition contains commentary devoted exclusively to the Xenia. Combining literary and textual comment with close attention to the social and cultural context, it will be valuable not only to specialists in Latin literature but also to anyone interested in the food and festivals of Ancient Rome.

Book XIV of Martial's epigrams, the Apophoreta, derives its name from the presents hosts gave 'to be carried away' by their guests at the Roman Saturnalia. The book comprises poetic couplets designed to accompany such presents and arranged so as to describe, alternately, the gifts of rich and poor. It is a unique source of information about one of the principal Roman festivals and about many of the everyday objects of first-century Roman life; yet until now it has attracted scant attention.This edition, while dealing comprehensively with matters of literary, linguistic and textual note, concerns itself also with the social context of the Apophoreta and the gifts it describes. It is a rich source of information not only for specialists in Latin epigram and the literature of the Flavian period, but also for historians and archaeologists, and indeed anyone with an interest in the life and customs of Imperial Rome.

The post-classical compilation known to modern scholarship as the Latin Anthology contains a collection of a hundred riddles, each consisting of three hexameters and preceded by a lemma. It would seem from the preface to this collection that they were composed extempore at a dinner to celebrate the Roman Saturnalia. The work was to have a defining influence on later collections of riddles; yet its title (probably the Aenigmata) has been debated, and almost nothing is known about its author: questions have even been asked about his name (Symphosius?) and date (4th-5th centuruy AD?).In this edition of the riddles, the Introducion discusses the work’s title and its author's identity: as well as his name and date, it considers his national origin (North African?) and intellectual background (a professional grammarian?), and argues that he was not Christian, as has been suggested. It examines the Saturnalian background to the work, setting it in its sociological context, and discusses the author’s literary debts – especially to Martial. The Introduction also explores the author’s ordering and arrangement of the riddles, discusses his literary style, Latinity and metre, and comments briefly on his Nachleben. It concludes with a survey of the textual tradition. The commentary on each riddle includes a translation, general notes on the object it describes (with reference, as necessary, to museums and artefacts), and discussion of how it fits into the ordering of the collection, of variant readings and, with suitable illustration, of literary, stylistic and metrical considerations. Other areas, such as history and mythology, are also covered where relevant.

The post-classical compilation known to modern scholarship as the Latin Anthology contains a collection of a hundred riddles, each consisting of three hexameters and preceded by a lemma. It would seem from the preface to this collection that they were composed extempore at a dinner to celebrate the Roman Saturnalia. The work was to have a defining influence on later collections of riddles; yet its title (probably the Aenigmata) has been debated, and almost nothing is known about its author: questions have even been asked about his name (Symphosius?) and date (4th-5th centuruy AD?).In this edition of the riddles, the Introducion discusses the work’s title and its author's identity: as well as his name and date, it considers his national origin (North African?) and intellectual background (a professional grammarian?), and argues that he was not Christian, as has been suggested. It examines the Saturnalian background to the work, setting it in its sociological context, and discusses the author’s literary debts – especially to Martial. The Introduction also explores the author’s ordering and arrangement of the riddles, discusses his literary style, Latinity and metre, and comments briefly on his Nachleben. It concludes with a survey of the textual tradition. The commentary on each riddle includes a translation, general notes on the object it describes (with reference, as necessary, to museums and artefacts), and discussion of how it fits into the ordering of the collection, of variant readings and, with suitable illustration, of literary, stylistic and metrical considerations. Other areas, such as history and mythology, are also covered where relevant.