Complete Works of Silius Italicus

by Silius Italicus

The epic poem ‘Punica’, concerning Rome’s Second War with Carthage and the legendary conflict between the generals Hannibal and Scipio Africanus, is the longest surviving epic of Latin literature. A masterpiece of the Silver Age of Roman poetry, the ‘Punica’ fuses the significance of Livy’s history with the polished verse of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the treasures of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Latin. This comprehensive eBook presents Silius’ complete extant works, with beautiful illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Silius’ life and works* Features the complete ‘Punica’, in both English translation and the original Latin* Concise introduction to the epic poem* Includes J. D. Duff’s translation, previously appearing in Loeb Classical Library edition of Silius Italicus* Excellent formatting of the texts* Easily locate the books you want to read with individual contents tables* Features bonus biographical pieces, including Pliny and Martial’s writings on Silius – discover the poet’s ancient world* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to explore our range of Ancient Classics titles or buy the entire series as a Super TranslationPUNICAThe Latin TextCONTENTS OF THE LATIN TEXTBiographical PiecesLETTER TO CANINIUS RUFUS by Pliny the YoungerEPIGRAMS CONCERNING SILIUS ITALICUS by MartialINTRODUCTION TO SILIUS ITALICUS by J. D. DuffPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles

703 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2015

About the author

Silius Italicus, in full Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus (ca. 28 – ca. 103), was a Roman consul, orator, and Latin epic poet of the 1st century CE, (Silver Age of Latin literature). His only surviving work is the 17-book Punica, an epic poem about the Second Punic War and the longest surviving poem in Latin at over 12,000 lines.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about Delphi Classics is that they often make more or less obscure literature accessible. In this case, we get a readable translation of Punica, the original Latin, and some interesting commentary on the poem and its author.

The poem itself is often a slog. It's long and burdened by even more catalogues of now-obscure people and place names than the average epic. The reader never really gets to know the principal characters, Hannibal and Scipio, despite the detailed descriptions of their battles. Sections that could be exciting, such as athletic games with chariot races and other contests fail to rise above description and become story.

Still, it was a worthwhile read. If nothing else, I am now familiar with the longest Latin poem, and I can compare it to better epics. The story itself has its moments, and I know more about the Second Punic War than I did before, even if I have to try to sort fact from the lines of a not-entirely-successful poem.

As is true of many budget ebooks, this volume has occasional typos or OCR errors, but Delphi has done a pretty good job of making the book readable. The errors are frequent enough to notice, but rare enough not to detract from the value of the work or to hinder comprehension.

Recommended only for readers with a strong interest in epic poetry.