Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire

Satire as a distinct genre of writing was first developed by the Romans in the second century BCE. Regarded by them as uniquely 'their own', satire held a special place in the Roman imagination as the one genre that could address the problems of city life from the perspective of a 'real Roman'. In this Cambridge Companion an international team of scholars provides a stimulating introduction to Roman satire's core practitioners and practices, placing them within the contexts of Greco-Roman literary and political history. Besides addressing basic questions of authors, content, and form, the volume looks to the question of what satire 'does' within the world of Greco-Roman social exchanges, and goes on to treat the genre's further development, reception, and translation in Elizabethan England and beyond. Included are studies of the prosimetric, 'Menippean' satires that would become the models of Rabelais, Erasmus, More, and (narrative satire's crowning jewel) Swift.

'Satire, perhaps more than any other genre, needs these companions, as it is a long, winding, branching road that sometimes blurs into obscurity. … the writings pull no punches, are often in the vernacular, and are direct in speech like satire itself. … this volume proves to be a worthy companion. Each author hands the traveller on to the next author, never isolating the reader but always providing connections by which to find a way back and to make the current scenery familiar.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 'When travelling a long and varied road from its murky beginnings to its uncertain end one hopes for knowledgeable and interesting companions to lead one through the mud, side roads, and indiscernible paths. The Cambridge Companion to Roman Satire provides such companions … [the book's] scope is huge. Many of the writings are general and basic enough for the novice adventurer while others … are specific and innovative enough for the specialist or seasoned traveller. In general, the writings pull no punches, are often in the vernacular, and are direct in speech like Satire itself … The restless companion: Horace: Satires 1 and 2 by Emily Gowers … masterfully provides a basic framework within which to understand better Horace and his writings … Cucchiarelli has taken a very dense, confusing author [Persius] and explained lucidly the reasons for his difficulty … Citation and authority in Seneca's Apocolocyntosis by Ellen O'Gorman. This is one of the most titillating chapters in the corpus … Late arrivals: Julian and Boethius … This essay is very well written by the leading authority in this area and assumes … that most of us have not read … these texts and certainly never fully appreciated the satiric elements in them … this volume proves to be a worthy companion. Each author hands the traveller on to the next author, never isolating the reader but always providing connections by which to find a way back and to make the current scenery familiar.' Martha Habash, Creighton University, 'The internationality is delightful for still, far too rarely, do researchers coming from different linguistic areas meet in satire studies … a reliable guide and comprehensive introduction to the subject.' Arctos, 'Students of satire will be glad to have this new volume in their hands. It should inspire the field to push still further, so that the genre is fully recognized as an important donor to literature and culture …' Journal of Roman Studies, '… the editor and the contributors to this volume while reaching for the star do not underestimate the difficulty of reading Roman satire and this is one of the main strengths of the book. Lector intende: this companion will delight you on your journey.' Classics Ireland

Kirk Freudenburg is Professor of Latin and Chair of the Department of the Classics at the University of Illinois. His previous publications include The Walking Muse: Horace and the Theory of Satire (Princeton University Press, 1993) and Satires of Rome: Threatening Poses from Lucilius to Juvenal (Cambridge University Press, 2001).