Latin Proverbs: Wisdom from Ancient to Modern Times (Artes Latinae)
Anyone who has a passion for books of Latin sayings will certainly wish to add Latin Proverbs to the bookshelf. A compendium of 1,188 assorted quotations, the book contains a topical index, an index of authors, and a brief but thorough guide to classical authors and their works. Since this book is designed to appeal as much to amateurs as to professional classicists, this last index should prove especially valuable. (The topical index, by the way, even on its own, is mildly amusing reading, proceeding as it does from milk to millstone to mind to Minerva.) What distinguishes this book from its many fine predecessors?Latin Proverbssurpasses its forerunners in more than a few ways. One of the book's principal virtues is that it ranges further afield than other collections. Dr. Sweet and his contributing editors, Georgia Irby-Massie and Scott Van Horn have harvested the fruit of an impressive array of sources. As is only natural in a collection of this sort, some sixty-two proverbs are taken from the standard stock of Ciceronianisms, while bon mots from the works of Publilius Syrus (an author who perhaps would not enjoy even the slight currency he does these days but for the abiding impress of Frederick Wheelock), account for eighty-five of the listings. One might carp that Seneca the Younger is somewhat overrepresented inLatin Proverbs, for he is quoted some ninety-five times, and not always at his most amusing. An example: In cane sagitas prima est si investigare debet feras, cursus si consequi, audacia si mordere et invadere. These and their like occasionally seem to fall more under the heading of quotation rather than proverb.These are minor quibbles, for collections of quotations must inevitably include the standard set. Nil sub sole novum, after all, as St. Jerome wrote, and which is included in this collection. WhereLatin Proverbsshines is where it goes beyond the usual boundaries, including citations from sources ranging from Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy to Ausonius and even to Theodore Roosevelt. Unexpected delights frequently appear, including Schopenhauer's epigram upon the death of an old housekeeper he had pensioned off: Obit anus, abit onus.A small orthographical quibble: the use of 'j' for a consonantal 'i' can be distracting to the eye. The rationale behind this practice, however, should be readily apparent: a substantial number of quotations are taken from mediaeval sources and consistency needed to be maintained.The English translations are idiomatic without sacrificing any accuracy. Commendably, both sexist usage and slang have been avoided. The line drawings that illustrate the book are charming, but alas, their artist is nowhere named. Could it be the author himself? If so, Dr. Sweet is a man of many talents. The bad crows with the bad eggs are particularly appealing. The book's small size and attractive cover will make it a good gift book.The book's strongest asset is certainly the fact that wherever possible, the author has included an exact textual citation. This will enable any reader whose curiosity has been piqued by a quotation from a classical author to track down the text and to read it in context. This feature alone, even without the book's fine indices, would render Latin Proverbs unique and valuable. --Amy Vail, Texas Classics in ActionWith 1,188 proverbs, in English and Latin, this little book serves as a source of inspiration and reflection. I was amazed that these words, written in ancient times, still hold true today. The advice about relationships and human nature caused me to reexamine my own worldview and interactions. The wry jokes written then transcend the barrier of time. Moreover, the index of topics lists the quotes by appropriate keyword, so I could look up what authors thought about a certain topic. The back of the book also provides the means to reference these quotes by author and works quoted.And unlike many other books of ancient words, Latin Proverbs holds true to these words, without any modern interpretation or analysis. The reader is free to ponder the wisdom of the ancients without filters or suggestion. This book contains the phrases that have withstood the test of time, bringing us insight from the ancients that demonstrate the shared bonds of the human condition. --Michelle Wu