Saturnalia, Volume I: Books 1–2

by Macrobius, Robert A. Kaster (Translator)

The "Saturnalia," Macrobius s encyclopedic celebration of Roman culture written in the early fifth century CE, has been prized since the Renaissance as a treasure trove of otherwise unattested lore. Cast in the form of a dialogue, the "Saturnalia" treats subjects as diverse as the divinity of the Sun and the quirks of human digestion while showcasing Virgil as the master of all human knowledge from diction and rhetoric to philosophy and religion.

The new Latin text is based on a refined understanding of the medieval tradition and improves on Willis s standard edition in nearly 300 places. The accompanying translation only the second in English and the only one now in print offers a clear and sprightly rendition of Macrobius s ornate Latin and is supplemented by ample annotation. A full introduction places the work in its cultural context and analyzes its construction, while indexes of names, subjects, and ancient works cited in both text and notes make the work more readily accessible than ever before.

Genres: History, Philosophy, Classics, Religion, Nonfiction, Mythology, Roman

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 400

About the author

Macrobius, fully Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, also known as Theodosius, was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, at the transition of the Roman to the Byzantine Empire, and when Latin was as widespread as Greek among the elite. He is primarily known for his writings, which include the widely copied and read Commentarii in Somnium Scipionis ("Commentary on the Dream of Scipio"), which was one of the most important sources for Platonism in the Latin West during the Middle Ages, the Saturnalia, a compendium of ancient Roman religious and antiquarian lore, and De differentiis et societatibus graeci latinique verbi ("On the Differences and Similarities of the Greek and Latin Verb"), which is now lost.

Reviews

[Erick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macrobius has two works that have come down to us: the Commentary on the Dream of Scipio and the Saturnalia. The former appears to be altogether complete; the latter has apparently large sections that are missing. Both works are philosophical in nature. The Commentary seems to be more often concerned with Metaphysics and the Saturnalia more with Physics and literature. One shouldn't overstate the preceding definitively, but that seems to be the overall subject matter. The first part of the Saturnalia discusses the origins of the Saturnalian festival and discusses some mythology, but the latter parts of the work are concerned largely with discussions of Virgil and natural questions.

I admit that I was more impressed with the Commentary than the Saturnalia. Even being somewhat fragmentary, the Saturnalia is a long work. This edition was over 500 pages. And not all of it was equally as interesting for me. Macrobius is a noted encyclopedist, thus, his works are largely a compilation of extracts from other works that had become "manuals" of learning by his day, i.e. by the first half of the first millennium. The Saturnalia is set as a dinner dialogue (a popular setting in ancient philosophical works) during the festival of Saturn in which various speakers move the subject matter along through the course of a series of conversations. Usually, questions will open up the topic of discussion and a particular extract. For the direct excerpts, it seems that the 3 writers that Macrobius is dependent on the most are Aulus Gellius, Plutarch and Pliny the elder. There are certainly references to other writers (e.g. Virgil, Homer, Athenaeus, Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero, Apuleius, etc) and works, but the preceding seem to be the main sources for the larger extracts that become subject matter in the discussion.

Macrobius seems to have intended this to be a handbook for his son. That is one of the marks of the encyclopedists that they usually would try to incorporate various subjects from various works in a single source that could be often seen as more of a compilation than an entirely original work. Thus, encyclopedic works became handbooks for subsequent generations. Often, the original works that they were based on fell by the way side. Even works that Macrobius was dependent on (e.g. Gellius' Attic Nights) were earlier attempts at encyclopedism. Unfortunately, many earlier works that are quoted in encyclopedic works are no longer extant, so these extracts are all that we have of those works remaining. Part of this is due to the replacement of Greek with Latin as the lingua franca of Roman Christendom. Another part is probably due to the convenience and popularity of the compendious works, rather than the earlier works that they were dependent on. This made them more appealing as works to be recopied.

Probably the most interesting aspect of the Saturnalia (other than the occasional quotation of non-extant works) is Macrobius' sustained critique of Virgil. The subject of Virgil takes up quite a bit of what remains of this work. It does indicate that Virgil's qualifications as a poet was under some amount of scrutiny for some time. Macrobius spends a considerable amount of the work on comparative criticism. Any study of Virgil and his dependence on earlier writers would be benefited by investigating the Saturnalia. Macrobius often will lay out quotations from writers like Homer and Lucretius side by side with Virgil. It is apparent that Virgil borrowed liberally from other poets. Some philosophy could be added to the preceding as well. I quoted a portion of the Aeneid in my review that indicated his dependence on philosophical metaphysics. His dependence on writers like Lucretius is hardly surprising to me. Macrobius does do a good job of proving Virgil's dependence on these kinds of writings. It does seem that for quite some time Latin writers were overshadowed by their Grecian forebears. Admittedly, that was quite an example to live up to, and Virgil wasn't always seen as a worthy inheritor in these earlier centuries.

The latter part of the Saturnalia might be seen as speculation on philosophical physics. Undoubtedly, many would see it as a rather naive and obsolete discussion of what is now seen as scientific questions. As I've said before in reviews, I don't detract from ancient philosophical works because of the primitive nature of their knowledge. That said, not much in these portions will still be seen as valid answers to the corresponding inquiries. I didn't find them particularly interesting as a result. I've always been more interested in metaphysics in ancient philosophy anyways.

A good work all in all. I gave the Commentary on The Dream of Scipio 5 stars for various reasons that I won't go into here. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't put the Saturnalia on the same level for many of the (sometimes implied) reasons I laid out above. It does have some value for some of the reasons I also laid out. I would give it around a 3-and-a-half to 4 star rating.

[Great Gracchus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A learned dialogue between educated Romans on one of the last Saturnalias before the Christians banned the holiday. This is an encyclopedic collection of ancient lore. The books in the Loeb Classical library are bilingual. This one is in both Latin, with some Greek, and English, fully annotated, with a good introduction. The first book is a collection of lore and philosophy surrounding the Roman Gods, and their sacred days. What is left of the second book is a collection of witticisms by famous Romans. If you want the rest of the Saturnalia, you will have to make a separate purchase. In my opinion, books one and two are the best of the Saturnalia, so if you only can afford to purchase one, get this one.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic.