Greek and Latin Letters

The 78 letters in this Anthology (41 Greek 36 Latin and 1 bilingual with facing English translation) are selected both for their intrinsic interest and to illustrate the range of functions letters performed in the ancient world. Dating from between c. 500 BC and c. 400 AD they include naive and high-style 'real' and 'fictitious' and classical and patristic items: Cicero Horace Ovid Seneca Pliny Julian Basil and Augustine are juxtaposed with Phalaris Diogenes Chion and the authors of letters on lead wood papyrus and stone. Four final items exemplify ancient epistolary theory. The Commentary besides providing contextual and linguistic assistance draws attention to specifically epistolary features and to different stylistic levels of Greek and Latin represented. Epistolary topics and formulae are discussed in the Introduction which also provides biographical and bibliographical information on all texts and authors included and a history of letter-writing and letter-reading in antiquity. Language: English