The Aeneid (Oxford World Classics): Frederick Ahl’s new translation achieves something that has never been achieved before: it captures the verve, poetic vitality, and intellectual drive of the original.
The Aeneid (Oxford World Classics) [Download pdf below]
To duplicate the original poetry in an exciting, precise and interesting way, Ahl has used a variation of the ancient Virgilian hexameter, which is a rapidly moving six-beat line that can be between twelve and seventeen syllables.
This is an Aeneid that even someone reading it for the first time will be able to understand and appreciate, while its depiction of the complexities of Virgil’s thought and language will delight readers already familiar with the epic.
Ahl, unlike most translators, has chosen to retain Virgil’s puns, including all the puns, anagrams, and other examples of the poet’s light-hearted sense of humor. “Virgil, like Shakespeare and the Greek tragics, understood that comedy and seriousness do not have to be incompatible in art or reality; In fact, they can coexist peacefully in both spheres.
The Aeneid should not be read as a somber act of reverence, but rather for purposes of amusement.” This lively new translation brings readers closer to the original and all the countless pleasures to be discovered in it. It is complemented by an introduction written by Elaine Fantham, detailed notes written by Ahl, and an informative indexed glossary.
Regarding the series: For more than a century, Oxford World’s Classics has made available the widest possible range of literary works from around the world. Each reasonably priced volume reflects Oxford’s dedication to scholarship by presenting the most accurate text along with a host of other useful features.
These features include well-informed introductions written by leading authorities, copious notes to clarify the text, updated bibliographies for future research, and much more. Each volume can be purchased here.