Vergil's Aeneid: Hero - War - Humanity

VERGIL'S AENEID: HERO, WAR , HUMANITY G. B. Cobbold, trans., Bolchazy-Carducci, 2005, $12.95, pb, 366pp, 0865165963 After the fall of Troy to the Greeks, Aeneas and the surviving Trojans flee, barely escaping with their lives. He knows that he is destined to establish a new Troy, one that will outshine the original. So the small band set forth on a sea journey that takes them throughout the Aegean Sea then on to Sicily, where his father dies. For a time, Aeneas settles in Carthage where he and Dido become lovers, but Jupiter reminds him of his destiny, and the nomads sail on to Italy. They are welcomed by Latinus, but a feud erupts between Aeneas and Turnus, a local chieftain, over Latinus's daughter Lavinia. After much bloodshed and heroism, the final combat culminates with Aeneas the victor. The prophecy is fulfilled as Troy is reborn as Rome. The Aeneid has been translated numerous times, but Cobbold's narrative interpretation adds a dimension to the classic tale, giving it the feel of an adventurous novel that will appeal to a wider audience. -- Gerald T. Burke The Historical Novels Review Issue 34, November 2005

Part of the reading experience includes spending some time with the classics and G. B. Cobbold has made that much easier with his new translation of Vergil’s Aeneid. The author’s knowledge of Latin and this classic story has permitted him to retell it as a novel, rather than its original text as a poem about a man whose city is destroyed by war and his long journey to find his destiny. In the process, there’s plenty of high drama, passion, battles, monsters, and meddling gods. It speaks to every new generation in a very special way. This new version makes the story especially accessible in many ways, including a glossary of characters, a timeline of significant events in Roman history, and other aids.

Vergil’s song of the Roman Empire still resounds in the ears of listeners as it has for two millennia. Now, G. B. Cobbold has translated the great Roman epic into English as a novel. Here the excitement, adventure, romance and glory of Vergil’s classic emerge from a vigorous style and evocative prose. The narrative depicts and reveals individuals and circumstances, conflicts and resolutions in a manner that is as exciting as the best current adventure stories. This translation of the Aeneid makes Vergil’s epic accessible and entertaining for English speaking students. At the Aeneid’s core remains the moral question: do I do as I want or as I ought? Cobbold depicts Aeneas’ decisions and dilemmas in this light, telling Vergil’s story in simple yet elegant English. The prose clearly depicts the people and events of the epic in a lucid and vivid style providing the edifice that displays Vergil’s presentation of the moral quandaries of humanity. This edition of the Aeneid is embellished with the enjoyable illustrations of Thom Kapheim whose drawings show people and events in a light yet meaningful way. For students of Latin but more importantly, for students of the humanities, Cobbold’s translation of the Aeneid is an exciting introduction to the great Latin classic.

Vergil's Aeneid G. B. Cobbold, translator Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers 1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084 0865165963 $12.95 www.bolchazy.com Vergil's Aeneid: Hero, War, Humanity is an impressive English translation of Vergil's classic work of literature. G. B. Cobbold renders Vergil's Aeneid into a novel format with sidebar summaries, which reads very much like an exciting modern adventure story! Enhanced with illustrations, a map of Aeneas' voyage, a glossary of characters, family trees of main characters and gods, a book-by-book outline of the plot of the Aeneid, a timeline of significant events in Roman history, reading group discussion questions, and much more, Vergil's Aeneid truly makes classic literature come alive. Highly recommended for study and discussion groups, and a welcome alternative interpretation for those who are more familiar with Vergil's Aeneid in verse-by-verse form.

Vergil's Aeneid G. B. Cobbold, translator Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers 1000 Brown Street, Unit 101 Wauconda, IL 60084 0865165963 $12.95 www.bolchazy.com Vergil's Aeneid: Hero, War, Humanity is an impressive English translation of Vergil's classic work of literature. G. B. Cobbold renders Vergil's Aeneid into a novel format with sidebar summaries, which reads very much like an exciting modern adventure story! Enhanced with illustrations, a map of Aeneas' voyage, a glossary of characters, family trees of main characters and gods, a book-by-book outline of the plot of the Aeneid, a timeline of significant events in Roman history, reading group discussion questions, and much more, Vergil's Aeneid truly makes classic literature come alive. Highly recommended for study and discussion groups, and a welcome alternative interpretation for those who are more familiar with Vergil's Aeneid in verse-by-verse form.

War and a Warrior by Vicki Wine Vergil’s Aeneid: Hero, War, Humanity, the just released translation of the Aeneid by G. B. Cobbold, provides a refreshingly modern narrative which engages modern readers with as much power as the Latin original itself. “Nothing that happens today has not already happened in the past, and there is no tale that has not been told before” (x). So remarks Cobbold, who believes that Aeneas’ journey applies to former and current world situations. Since the author has intentionally written for the person with no background in Latin, the storyline and references are as easy to follow as in a modern story. The reader familiar with the Aeneid in Latin, or just reading parts of it in Latin, will benefit from a text easily understood. Students reading the Aeneid for the first time in Latin will profit from following the story itself and grasping the deeper theme relevant to human experience. Reading an English version with such vitality should encourage Latin students to search in the Latin for the equivalent meaning the English was trying to bring out. Even students further along in their study of Latin will have a renewed appreciation for the richness of the story. Since the translation is in prose, students reading the Latin will more easily appreciate the original wording of the poetic structures. Teachers of civilization courses, survey courses, or other courses making use of the Aeneid, will find that this translation, so eminently readable, will significantly facilitate comprehension. When I have used a more modern translation of the Iliad in ancient civilization and mythology classes, I felt the students understood the meaning of the work better than they had with other translations. The translation achieves the vibrancy of a modern style by deleting names or references not necessary to following the story and by adding words or phrases to explain context that is not familiar to the modern reader without a classical background. Compared to the style of the original Latin, the sentences are shorter, avoiding the standard Latin syntax; though beautiful in the original, lengthy sentences do not evoke the same immediacy for English readers. Unencumbered with footnotes for explanations, the text moves along smoothly and dynamically. The author has purposefully prepared the English version as a novel. As he points out in his introduction to the translation, he has intended to write the story with a strong plot for today’s readers, thereby maintaining the excitement of the story. Both the headings and the illustrations throughout the book keep the reader involved in the action. Changes in scenery are handled with a direct transition. The style of the writing captures the purpose of Vergil. Cobbold’s responsible popularization has effectively combined the scholar’s knowledge with a novelist’s touch. While some teachers might feel that having their students read the Aeneid in prose is not as authentic as in poetry, the characteristics of the novel fit the purpose of the original well—telling a story using the past to inform the present—and add a contemporary feel to the message. Moreover, students, especially younger students, will probably find the prose less intimidating and more accessible. The illustrations and accompanying sidebars preserve the flavor of the original epic. The approach of the translation in the form of a novel allows the class to concentrate on the meaning and theme. If read to supply context for reading the Latin, the prose enhances the students’ appreciation of the original Latin poetry. In order to avoid distancing the reader by conventions or outdated phrasing, the author uses language that maintains both the weight of the epic and the pace of a good story. One of the first instances of this is the reference to Carthage in Book I as “due south” of Rome, a visual reminder of the proximity, both geographically and historically. As one reads the conversations among the gods, Venus’ plea to her father and his response, and Aeneas’ struggle to maintain his duty, one feels the immediacy of the story and reflects on the complexities and the ambivalences of the human condition. The five appendices in the back add further information especially helpful to a classroom setting: ? Appendix I briefly outlines the plot, with about one paragraph per book. ? Appendix II provides significant events in Roman history. ? Appendix III fills in the genealogy of the cast of characters. ? Appendix IV provides 16 thought-provoking discussion questions, intended for a study group, but equally suitable for use in a class, either for class discussion, written essays, or panel discussions. ? Appendix V identifies the main characters of the Aeneid. The simple beauty of the rendering of the first line, “This is a story of a war—and the story of a warrior . . .” shows how the translation eloquently captures the poignancy of the Latin original. In fact, Cobbold’s recasting of Roman culture in our contemporary vernacular allows English readers to understand exactly why Vergil’s work is a classic with universal appeal and will help draw students to study the original Latin.