Page images
PDF
EPUB

at only by searching into and comparing a number of different treatises. Such are the disquisitions on the Lares and Penates (p. 255), the Sibylline books and the different Sibyls (p. 251), on the origin of the Olympian Gods and their wars with the Titans, Giants, &c., (p. 241), on Janus (p. 158), on Mars (p. 181), on Faunus (p. 185), on Vesta (p. 282), the Preliminary Remarks prefixed to each author, and many of the Introductions to the different extracts.

In making a selection of various readings, it appeared proper to include, 1. Those which are equal or nearly equal in authority to the received text. 2. Those which have been adopted by the most esteemed editors. 3. Those which serve to illustrate the manner in which errors gradually crept in during the process of repeated transcription. 4. Those whose rejection involves some point of delicate or curious criticism. I have not felt myself justified in enlarging upon this department, but I am convinced that, in the hands of a skilful examiner, various readings may be used as a powerful instrument for exercising the judgment and improving the taste.

In addition to the annotations contained in the best editions of the two poets, of which a list has been given in p. 21, I ought to mention that in all that relates to ancient mythology free use has been made of the works of J. H. Voss, K. O. Müller2, and Hartung3, while in the Appendix on the Roman Calendar the excellent essay of Ideler4 has been closely followed.

W. R.

1 Mythologische Briefe-Antisymbolik-Kritische Blätter.

2 Prolegomena zu einer wissenchaftlichen Mythologie-OrchomenosDie Dorier-Die Etrusker.

3 Die Religion der Römer.

Handbuch der mathematischen und technischen Chronologie.

EDITOR'S PREFACE.

THE present edition is substantially a reprint of a work entitled 'Extracts from Tibullus and Ovid,' written some years ago by the late Professor Ramsay, for the use of the Latin class in the University of Glasgow. It was originally printed privately at his own expense; and has remained up to this time practically unknown to the scholars and schools of England, and almost unused beyond the limits of this University.

Having found the work invaluable as a text-book for my junior class, combining as it does accurate scholarship with vigorous, graphic representations of ancient mythology and history, of ancient life and literature, I suggested to the Delegates of the Oxford Press that it would be a fitting work to insert in their new series. The book in its original form being somewhat too bulky, it was thought advisable to omit altogether the selections from Tibullus-which might have interfered with a selection from the minor Roman poets shortly to be issued in the same series-and to curtail the notes in the remaining portion of the book where possible. Such curtailment has been effected almost entirely by the omission of original passages from classical authors, which had been quoted in extenso in the original work and which are merely referred to in the present edition; and as at the same time a number of notes have been inserted

which originally appeared in illustration of the extracts from Tibullus, the result is that the notes of the present volume include the whole of the notes to the Ovid, and in an enriched rather than an impoverished form.

The only decided alteration I have ventured to make is in the matter of orthography, as to the true principles of which so much progress has been made by modern scholars. In accordance with the now generally received conclusions of the best authorities, I have written uniformly caelum, caelestis, caerulens, cetera, fenus, fetus, femina, fenum, maeror, maestus, baedus, nequiquam, quicquam, umquam, numquam, tamquam, etc., inserted the p in such forms as sumptus, ademptus, etc., and made a few other unimportant changes of a similar character. With regard to the difficult question of assimilation I have left the orthography as it stood.

With these exceptions the work remains, both in form and substance, absolutely unchanged.

GEORGE G. RAMSAY.

GLASGOW COLLEGE,
May 2, 1868.

« PreviousContinue »