Recommended editions of original latin books

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hello,

What editions of original non-adapted latin books do you recommend that are helpfully annotated? I am interested in these classic authors:
Plautus
Terentius
Lucretius
Catullus
Virgil
Horace
Ovid
Tibulus
Propertius
Lucanus
Martial
Petronius
Apuleius
Seneca
Persius
Juvenal

I’ve being reading from bilingual editions until now, but I think it is better to read from entirely latin editions with many and useful notes. Here you got an example of what I mean: Ovid’s Metamorphoses Books 1-5 by William S. Anderson (preview: http://books.google.com.ar/books?id=t12AuG0q144C&printsec=frontcover&hl=es#v=onepage&q&f=false).

Is there any collection or specific books that you would recommend?

Regards.

2

Have a look at those listed here.

3

I would recommand the In usum Delphini editions (links to the XIXth century editions are given in the page Bedwere mentioned, but you might prefer the b/w Google books scans). Each volume gives you the original text, a paraphrase with easier word order and different vocabulary (a great way to learn new words) and notes (in Latin). In my opinion, this is a great tool because it enables you to remain in a 100% Latin-“speaking” environnement, rather than shifting back and forth between Latin and English

For instance, here’s the beginning of Propertius, El. II :

Text :
Quid juvat ornato procedere, vita, capillo,
Et tenues Coa veste movere sinus ?

Papraphrase :
O mea lux, quid prodest prodire in publicum crinibus exornatis, mollesque sinus amictu Coo undantes quassando movere ?

Notes :
Cynthiam admonet, ut nolit nativae pulchritudini nocere pigmentis fucando faciem, et ornatu peregrino et emtitio formam excolendo ; cum pudicitia morumque probitas sint vera et sincera foeminarum ornamenta.
1 Vita] Vox amantium frequens ap. poëtas. Juv. S. vi. dixit zôè kai psukhè. Ita enim Callim. amicam vocavit zôèn.
2 Coa veste] Cos ins. maris Aegaei, Cycladum una, in qua vestes bombycinae dicuntur primum inventae, quas prima dicitur texuisse Pamphilia Latoi filia. Ex hac insula nati sunt Hippocrates et Apelles, alter medicorum, alter pictorum princeps.

4

I’m sorry for the delay in responding, I didn’t receive the email alert of your replies.

:smiley: I didn’t know those editions, I think is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!

Thanks, I will.