Manual of classical literature
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| Manual of classical literature by Johann Joachim Eschenburg |
Contents:
pt.I. Archaeology of literature and art -- pt.II History of ancient literature, Greek and Roman -- pt.III Mythology of the Greeks and Romans -- pt.IV Greek and Roman antiquities -- pt.V Classical geography and chronology
From the introduction:
My aim, in this work, was to furnish both Learners and Teachers with a book, which might at the same time serve as a general introduction to the reading of classical authors, and likewise afford further and constant help in understanding and explaining them.
It surely is unnecessary to prove, that a knowledge of Greek and Roman Mythology and Antiquities, and some acquaintance with the Archaeology of Literature and Art, and also with the general History and Criticism of the Ancient Authors, are not only useful but absolutely indispensable, in the pursuit of classical study.
And it appears to me, that it must greatly facilitate the acquisition of this knowledge, to have the whole range of it brought into one collected system, as it is in this work, and all digested with one common end in view, and reduced as far as possible to one uniform method, with a careful selection of what is most essential, and omission of what is comparatively unimportant, and a constant reference to its appropriate use.
The Teacher will find presented to him throughout the work occasions and hints for further illustrations and additions; while the Learner has; in the book itself what is of indispensable importance, and in such a form, that he may easily re-peruse and review it.
The Archaeology of Literature and Art had never, previously to the attempt in this work, been exhibited in a form adapted for general instruction. Yet some such acquaintance with the subject as this work may furnish is of the highest importance to the scholar. It may be expected, that the glance, which he will here obtain of the rich monuments of antiquity, will lead him to seek the pleasure of more complete and full knowledge, especially of Grecian art. And certainly, the classical teacher needs to be to some degree familiar with the objects presented in this field of study, in order to do justice to his pupils.
The View of the Classical Authors was necessarily confined within brief limits. I preferred to arrange them in Departments, instead of following purely chronological order because I could thereby more conveniently introduce the brief remarks I wished to offer to respect the form, which each Department of writing assumed among the Greeks and Romans.
In giving the editions of the classics, and the works helping to illustrate them, I confined myself chiefly to such as are most suitable for scholars, and best calculated in my view for their advancement. In describing the authors, only a short and condensed summary could be given, not including a complete enumeration of their works, but merely naming the most im- portant.
The sketch of Greek and Roman Mythology is that, which I first drew up for use in my own lectures, and which has been separately printed. Here I have endeavoured to separate the circumstances most important for the scholar's notice from those of minor consequence; introducing the historical or traditional part of the fables, without saying much of the theories and speculations employed in solving them; yet presenting hints at explanations, worthy of the scholar's notice.
The references to the Metamorphoses of Ovid are added because I deem it highly useful to connect a reading of these with the study of Mythology. — A new system of Greek and Roman 'Antiquities might s«em, at first view, less needed than the other parts of this work, since there are other systems and compends easily accessible, especially of Roman Antiquities. But it was necessary to the completeness of the Manual to include these branches. Nor was this all. I hoped here, as in the rest of my work, to furnish something especially valuable on account of its- embracing all that is most essential to the subject, with the exclusion of extraneous and unimportant matter.
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