Revisiting Lofty Arches: the Transmigration of Souls in Aeneid 6
By Erin Schott
In the beginning, the inner spirit
nourishes the sky, lands, and liquid fields,
the shining globe of the moon and Titan’s stars…
Revisiting Lofty Arches
Translations
Catullus Carmen 5
Catullus Carmen 5
By Dara Sanchez
Live, laugh, love. A unifying anthem for mothers across America. Yet, in Carmen 5, Catullus finds a way to enthrall us with his amorous descriptions of thousands of kisses. He reminds us of…
The Burden of Snow on Struggling Trees
The Burden of Snow on Struggling Trees
By Noah Apter
Do you see how Mount Soracte stands, pure white with deep snow, and how the struggling trees can no longer bear the burden of snow, and how the rivers have frozen over with biting frost? Ward away the cold by generously tossing…
Dialogues of the Dead 23
Dialogues of the Dead 23
By Noah Apter
Lucian’s Dialogues of the Dead contains thirty largely comedic miniature dialogues between deceased Greek figures. The 23rd dialogue, which is notably more somber than the others, occurs…
The Wealth of the Countryside
Virgil, Georgics 2.458-542
Translated by Sara Chopra
In this final passage of Book 2 of his Georgics, Virgil presents his reader with an ode to the farmer, extolling the virtues of country living. However, as much as these closing lines celebrate the joys of an agrarian lifestyle, they equally express the poet’s distaste for the corruption that has taken hold of his city, Rome…
Catullus 101: Hello and Goodbye
Catullus 101
By Sara Albert
Catullus wrote this elegy while mourning the untimely death of his brother. Despite the fact that he wrote it so long ago, the raw emotion he expresses throughout the piece is timeless and universal. Any reader who has lost someone special to them knows how Catullus felt in the moments he describes…
Virgil’s Rumor and “Fake News”
Aeneid 4.173-188
By Ryan Cooper
Few would dispute that misinformation and the media are in a spotlight of attention right now, and I’ve often thought about Virgil’s depiction of Fama in Book IV of Aeneid, and just how closely related his image is to that of the rumors and misinformation of the current world…
Graecia Capta: Sappho and Catullus
By Mati Davis
Sappho 31 and Catullus 51
These two poets focus on the same theme as the previous part of this series: love’s pains. Catullus’ poem 51 hovers somewhere between allusion and direct quotation of Sappho’s poem 31. These two are as interesting for their similarities as for their differences. Even though they follow nearly the same formula, Catullus deftly contrasts Sappho’s romantic euphoria with his own frenzied agony…
Blinded by Love
Catullus 83
By Lily Nesvold
Overall, I took quite a few liberties in translating this poem. I did keep consistent with the tone of Catullus’ poem by employing a low language register, and I used many derogatory words to emphasize Catullus’ frustration. However, I decided to insert a parenthetical statement after the first two lines to emphasize Catullus’ hatred for Lesbia’s husband. Today, calling someone a “jerk” is so universal in the English language—the reader can instantly assess his character…
The City in Peace
Iliad 18.490-508
By Stephen Jagoe
In this passage, Homer describes Achilles’ shield and the scenes that decorate it, specifically the “town in peace.” The imagery stands in direct contrast to the rest of the poem’s theme of war. It reminds the reader of the bygone days before the fighting started, and gives him hope that someday the fighting will stop…