Dialogus de scriptoribus poetisque Romanis

Product Description

To all of you, students of the Latin language, I have written this dialogue about Roman writers and poets, so that in it you might have before your eyes the brief lives of excellent men and their works, whose names are known not only to experts, but also to many other people. Having omitted many, the characters of this dialogue discussed and debated only about famous and well-known poets and writers, especially about those who are of great importance for the school and study of the Latin language. Some of their works are quoted by the characters of this dialogue, which you must sometimes read and interpret. For it is agreed among all that the works of Roman writers, poets and philosophers can form and improve our mind and that of all readers, if we study them with great diligence and seriousness. Augustine, one of the characters in the dialogue, who was undoubtedly a great Christian writer and philosopher, mentioned some of his works in this dialogue, since in many of his works he had either praised or criticized the books of Roman writers. In my opinion, students and pupils of the Latin language should read and know at least the principal works of Augustine. For this reason in many places of this work I ordered Augustine's books to be mentioned. Furthermore, not only Augustine, but also other characters of this dialogue, Ambrose and Paulinus, recalled from memory some books of the New Testament with the intention that all who study the Latin language might better know the New Testament. The characters of the dialogue strive for brevity and clarity together in this work: they strive for brevity so that what is touched upon summarily in our dialogue, you may expand through your own labor both by reading and by discussing; for clarity, so that you may better understand and know the works of writers and poets and their teachings. If any error, contrary to my intention, has crept into these pages or into this dialogue, let it be corrected by benevolent and learned readers skilled in the Latin language. I hope this dialogue about Roman writers and poets will be an aid and incentive for students to learn and study. For the Latin language in the schools of Germany, which we greatly lament, is not highly valued. With the work happily completed, I give the greatest thanks without any doubt to my wife, who daily missed me, present indeed, yet always reading, writing and working for long hours. Furthermore, I give the greatest and special thanks to the publisher of my book, which is called the European University Press (Europäischer Universitätsverlag). I must also be most grateful to the printing house and to all who diligently prepared the edition of this book and took care to have it printed, especially to Ms. Yi Song and Professor Dr. Martin Woesler, for they gave me much advice pertaining to the edition of my book. Furthermore, I must hold special gratitude to the gentleman named Artur Lobatschew, who painted the images of the characters of this dialogue. Finally, I am grateful to Mr. Philipp Cirkel and Ms. Britta Schweers for all things done by them that pertain to the edition of my book. For they worked with me for a long time and corrected all errors that needed correcting. In my opinion, this publication of my book, which is composed not in the German language but in Latin, is very much to be praised.