Librarian
Classical Studies
Introduction
The LSU Libraries’ rare book collections contain a wide range of materials that may be used to teach and study the history and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Materials on the "classical tradition"—the reception of Greco-Roman culture from the era of Renaissance humanism to the early twentieth century—are also available.
Many of the books in this subject area have been at LSU since its founding, when classics were an integral part of the curriculum. Others have been acquired from plantation libraries of Louisiana and Mississippi, providing a tool for studying the popularity of classical authors in the United States in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students interested in translation studies or the history of language learning will also find relevant materials in the library’s collections.
Compiled by Michael Taylor, 2012
Greece
The most notable or representative works related to ancient Greek literature and history in the Rare Book Collection are listed below: Many other works and editions are held. To learn more, please explore the catalog or contact the library.
Homer:
- Homer his Iliads1660. Translated by John Ogilby.
- Homer his Odysses1665. Translated by John Ogilby. These translations introduced Homer to many English readers.
- The Works of Mr. John Dryden1701. Dryden disliked Ogilby's translations. This collection contains his own version of Homer.
- The Iliad of Homer1716. Translated by Alexander Pope into rhyming couplets.
- The Odyssey of Homer1725. Translated by Alexander Pope, whose editions of Homer were the standard English versions for more than a century, coming to be seen as important works of literature in their own right.
- The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer1791. Translated by William Cowper. Blank-verse translation that rivaled Pope's Homer in popularity.
- Homērou Odysseia1705. The library's earliest Greek edition of Homer, published in Oxford.
- Ilias AmbrosianaFacsimile reproduction of the Ambrosian Iliad, the only illustrated manuscript of Homer to survive from antiquity.
Histories:
- Thucydides cum scholiis et antiquis et utilibus1540. Edition by Joachim Camerarius.
- Eight Bookes of the Peloponnesian Warre1634. The first translation of Thucydides into English directly from Greek, by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
- Plutarch's Morals1694. Early English translation.
- Plutarch, Vitae paralellae1723. With imaginary portraits of the book’s subjects.
Other early works:
- Oratores Graeci1513. Example of an Aldine edition, small pocket editions of ancient authors published by the Venetian printer and classicist Aldus Manutius, a major figure in the revival of Greek scholarship in western Europe.
- Platonis de rebus divinis dialogi selecti1673. A Greek-Latin parallel-text edition of Plato’s works printed in Cambridge. Contains the first translation of Plato into Latin, by the fifteenth-century Italian humanist Marsilio Ficino.
- Commentarij in tres libros1548. An analysis of Aristotle’s Rhetoric by the Florentine scholar Pietro Vettori. Good example of humanist commentary on a classical text.
- Euclid, Elements1533. The first printing in the original Greek of this foundational work on geometry.
- Pindarou Olympia1599. The works of Pindar, printed in Latin and Greek.
- The Works of Anacreon and Sappho1713. The first complete English translation of Sappho’s works, by Ambrose Philips, who, unlike earlier translators, made no attempt to disguise Sappho’s lesbianism.
- The Tragedies of Sophocles1758-59. The standard English translation of Sophocles for a century after its publication.
Roman Literature and Philosophy
The most notable or representative works related to ancient Roman literature and philosophy in the Rare Book Collection are listed below. Many other works and editions are held. To learn more, please explore the catalog or contact the library.
Poetry:
- Vergilius VaticanusFacsimile of a fifth-century illustrated text of Virgil’s Aeneid and Georgics.
- P. Vergilii Maronis Codex antiquissimus1741. A remarkable early attempt to reproduce the Codex Mediceus—a fifth-century Virgil manuscript preserved in the Laurentian Library in Florence—by special type designed to imitate Roman rustic lettering.
- Opera Virgiliana1529. The earliest of the library's many editions of the works of Virgil. Contains 199 woodcut illustrations depicting the story’s characters in medieval garb.
- The xiii Bukes of Eneados of the Famose Poete Virgill1553. The first complete translation of any classical work into English. LSU’s copy bears contemporary manuscript annotations regarding Douglas’s word choices.
- Surrey's Fourth boke of VirgillA facsimile edition of the Earl of Surrey’s 1554 blank verse translation of the fourth book of the Aeneid.
- The Thirteene Bookes of Aeneidos1600. Contains Thomas Phaer’s translation of the Aeneid’s first seven books, originally published in 1558, books eight and nine, left unfinished at Phaer’s death in 1560, and Thomas Twyne’s translation of the final three books, plus the Renaissance poet Maffeo Vegio’s popular continuation (Book XIII) describing Aeneas’ marriage and deification.
- The Works of Virgil1697. John Dryden's classic English version of the Aeneid, as well the Eclogues and Georgics. Later editions also held.
- The Works of Virgil1709. Translated by the Earl of Lauderdale in France at the court of the exiled King James II.
- Publii Virgilii Maronis Bucolica, Georgica et Æneis1757. Elegant fine-press edition of Virgil by English printer John Baskerville. Reflects the fashionable status of classical literature in the eighteenth century.
- The Works of Virgil1766. Translated by Robert Andrews. Printed by John Baskerville.
- P. Ouidii Metamorphosis1505. Venetian edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
- P. Ouidii Nasonis poetae Sulmonensis Opera quae uocantur Amatoria1549. Basel edition of Ovid's Art of Love.
- The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entituled Metamorphosis1593. The first English translation of Ovid, by Arthur Golding. Originally printed in 1567, it was a major influence on Shakespeare, who read it as a young man.
- Ovids Metamorphosis Englished, Mythologiz'd, and Represented in Figures1640. Translated by George Sandys during his visit to Virginia in the 1620s. Probably the first classical translation done in what is now the United States.
Satire:
- Martialis1501 edition of Martial's epigrams. Printed by Aldus Manutius in Venice, this is an example of an early "pocket" or "student" edition that helped popularize the study of the classics.
- Decimus Junius Juvenalis, and Aulus Persius Flaccus1673. Barten Holyday's translation of Juvenal and Persius, of interest mainly for its commentary and engravings.
- The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis1693. John Dryden's translation of Juvenal.
- D. Junii Juvenalis et Auli Persii Flacci Satyrae1761. Designed by pioneering fine-press printer John Baskerville. Extra-illustrated with seventeen engravings by Wenceslaus Hollar from the 1660 edition of Sir Robert Stapylton’s translation of Juvenal’s satires.
- [Works of Horace]1577. Denys Lambin's edition.
- The Odes, Satyrs, and Epistles of Horace1684. Thomas Creech's translation.
Rhetoric and Philosophy:
- Or[ati]ones Tulii C., diligenter emendatae1480. One of the earliest editions of Cicero's speeches, printed at Venice. Example of an incunable (a book from the first fifty years of printing).
- Scribal copy of Cicero's Paradoxa, De Amicitia, De SenectuteAfter 1494. Manuscript copied from a printed book.
- Lucretius, De rerum natura1515 Venetian edition.
- An Essay on the First Book of T. Lucretius Carus De rerum natura1656. The first published English translation of Lucretius, by John Evelyn, who translated the entire work but only published the first book.
- Lucretius, Of the Nature of Things1714. The first complete published English translation of Lucretius, by Thomas Creech.
Roman History
The most notable or representative works related to ancient Roman history in the Rare Book Collection are listed below. Many other works and editions are held. To learn more, please explore the catalog or contact the library.
Roman historians:
- Silius Italicus, Punica1512. On the Punic War. Heavily annotated Latin edition.
- The Second Punick War Between Hannibal and the Romanes1661. Thomas Ross's translation, with illustrations.
- Observations upon the Five First Bookes of Caesars Commentaries1600. English translation of Caesar's Gallic Wars. Illustrated.
- Observations upon Casears Comentaries1609. Books six and seven of Caesar's Gallic Wars. Illustrated.
- Lucan's Pharsalia1627. Illustrated edition of Lucan's history of the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey.
- Lucan's Pharsalia1718. Nicholas Rowe's translation.
- Las quatorze decadas de Tito Liuio hystoriador de los Romanos1520. Rare Spanish edition of Livy’s History of Rome, profusely illustrated with woodcuts depicting Roman figures in sixteenth-century garb.
- C. Suetonij Tranquilli XII Caesares1551 Latin edition of Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Caesars.
- [Seutonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars]1622 edition with imaginary likenesses of the emperors.
- [Seutonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars]1736 edition with profiles of the emperors copied from ancient coins.
Natural history and geography:
- [Pliny's Letters]1490. One of the first classical works to be printed. Raffaele Regio's edition.
- [Pliny's Letters]1524 edition by Ermolao Barbaro.
- [Pliny's Letters]1548 edition with a preface by Erasmus.
- The Historie of the World1601. The first English translation of Pliny, by Philemon Holland.
- C. Plinii Secu[n]di Iunioris epistole1498 edition of the letters of Pliny the Younger, including two that describe the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in which his uncle Pliny the Elder died.
- [Ptolemy, Geography]1541. The most important ancient work on geography and mapmaking.
- Geographia universalis, vetus et nova1545 edition of Ptolemy's Geography.
- Pomponius Mela, De situ orbis1748. Contains a map of the ancient world as it was believed to look before Ptolemy.
- Peutinger TableFacsimile of an ancient Roman road map in scroll form.
Early modern historians:
- Basil Kennett, Romae antiquae notitia: or, The Antiquities of Rome1696. A good source of images of Roman temples and other buildings.
- Alessandro Donati, Roma vetus1639. Images of Roman structures.
- Jean Barbault, Les plus beaux monuments de Rome ancienne1761. Large book of engravings of Roman buildings and monuments.
- Bernard de Montfaucon, L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures1719-57. The library's most comprehensive early source of illustrations of ancient Rome, covering everything from clothing and aqueducts to naval warfare and funerary architecture.
- Guide to Architecture in Special CollectionsFor additional works on classical architecture, see this separate LSU Libraries' subject guide.
- Poliorceticon, sive, De machinis, tormentis, telis1596. Illustrated work on Roman military science by Dutch scholar Justus Lipsius.
- Vegetius, De re militari1592. Illustrated work on Roman military science.
- Francesco Ficoroni, Dissertatio de larvis scenicis et figuris comicis antiquorum Romanorum1754. Unusual illustrated work on Roman theater masks.
Mythology
In addition to the epic poetry listed in this guide, numerous other books on classical mythology are available in Special Collections. Examples include:
- Vincenzo Cartari, Le imagini de i dei de gli antichi (1580) and Natale Conti, Mythologie, c'est a dire explication des fables (1612), two early illustrated books on mythology.
- Francois Pomey, The Pantheon: Representing the Fabulous Histories of the Heathen Gods and the Most Illustrious Heroes of Antiquity (1793), a schoolbook.
- Jacob Bryant, A New System; or, An Analysis of Ancient Mythology (1775), by one of the major mythologists of the eighteenth century, who attempted to link classical mythology to the Bible.
The Rare Book Collection, Louisiana & Lower Mississippi Valley Collection, and particularly the Laughlin Collection contain more than 100 nineteenth- and early twentieth-century retellings of tales from classical mythology, often for a juvenile audience, as well as reference works on the subject. See, for example:
- Eliza Robbins, Elements of Mythology, or, Classical Fables of the Greeks and Romans (1830)
- Charles Kingsley, The Heroes; or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children (1855)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne, A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys (1865) and Tanglewood Tales (1887).
- A. S. Murray, Manual of Mythology (1873)
- William Smith, New Classical Dictionary (1876)
- Hamilton Wright Mabie, Myths Every Child Should Know (1914)
- Margaret Evans Price, A Child’s Book of Myths (1924)
Language Study
A small number of dictionaries and grammars of classical languages is available, dating back to the sixteenth century. A subject search using the terms “Latin language” or “Greek language” should locate the most relevant works. See also the separate rare book guide on Dictionaries & Language Study.
Works of particular interest include:
- Robert Constantin, Lexicon Graecolatinum (1562), one of the earliest Latin-Greek dictionaries.
- Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster, or, Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children to Understand, Write, and Speake the Latin Tong (1573).
- Johann Comenius, Janua linguarum reserata... The Gate of Languages Unlocked (1673). A Latin-English conversation and phrase book.
- B. Granet, Elements of the Latin Grammar (1833), an early Louisiana Latin textbook.
Search Tips
Searching for literature in the library’s catalog can be difficult, since subject headings denoting literary genres are rarely provided in catalog records. If you are not looking for works by a specific author, we recommend limiting your catalog search to the Rare Book Collection as a location and using the “wildcard” search feature. By truncating the ending of a search term with the $ sign, you will increase your search results. For example, the keyword or title search “myth$” will locate records containing the words myth, myths, mythology, mythological, etc.
You may also try a call number search, but be aware that because of irregularities of formatting, some call numbers may file out of order. Also note that the Rare Book Collection has been cataloged using both the Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal systems.
For personalized help searching the catalog, please contact or visit the library.