Commentaries

The commentary seeks to elucidate and explain the background and the significance of every line of Satires 7, 8 and 9. Little previous knowledge of the languages, history and culture of the ancient world is assumed. The Latin is explained both in relation to what we know of the Roman world of the 1st century CE and also in relation to the literary and satirical tradition in which Juvenal was writing. The commentary gives the reader sufficient information to understand historical, mythological and literary references, while also directing readers towards other sources of information and alternative viewpoints. Above all, the commentary seeks to show the rhetorical and poetic power of the Latin text, analysing the use of literary devices and showing how and where the poet displays his superb mastery of the language and the metre. The comments are keyed to the translation and a reader without Latin will still be able to use the commentary for explanation of the content of the satires.