Nicholas Horsfall Libri

Working “in the shadow of Eduard Norden” in the author’s own words, Nicholas Horsfall has written his own monumental commentary on Aeneid 6. This is Horsfall’s fifth large-scale commentary on the Aeneid, and as his earlier commentaries on books 7, 11, 3, and 2, this is not a commentary aimed at undergraduates. Horsfall is a commentators’ commentator writing with encyclopedic command of Virgilian scholarship for the most demanding reader. Volume One includes the introduction, text and translation, and bibliography, Volume Two includes the commentary, appendices, and indices.

This commentary was begun in 1967, but most of the period from 1971 to 1996 was spent on work that was in some sense an essential preliminary to a detailed study of Aeneid 7. The work will serve as a guide to recent (and future) work on Virgilian language, grammar, syntax and style. Recent approaches to the text have been, where possible, taken into account, with sympathy but without jargon. Virgil's sources, in verse and prose, have been studied with special care and the commentary presents a coherent approach to Virgil's view of Italian religion, antiquities and topography. Unusually full indexing is intended to further the book's use as a guide to many aspects of Augustan poetic idiom. There is a text independent of recent editions and a precise, prose translation.

This book is not yet another introduction to Virgil's poetry. The editor and three contributors offer a guide to the key problems and to the most intelligent discussions.They do not hesitate to point out what we do not know, and where more work needs to be done. Apart from ample discussion of the poems and the main issues they raise, the book offers chapters on the life of Virgil, his style, and his influence on late Latin epic.

Nicholas Horsfall presents a comprehensive commentary on Aeneid 6, building on his extensive expertise in Virgilian scholarship. This work is tailored for advanced readers rather than undergraduates, reflecting Horsfall's deep engagement with classical texts. The first volume features the introduction, text, translation, and bibliography, while the second volume contains the detailed commentary, appendices, and indices, showcasing Horsfall's scholarly depth and dedication to the subject.