Reader's Editions of Ancient Authors

Ancient poetry like you've never experienced it before.
The main feature of these Reader's Editions — a minor change with a major psychological effect — is that they do not include line numbers. This converts the reading experience from a chore to a pleasure, from a grind to a flight of the imagination. You are not on the clock; you have no quota; you are alone with a masterpiece, the way it was meant to be.

Font, font size, margins have all been chosen to maximize ease of reading. Printed with an elegant matte paperback cover, every volume features an aesthetically beautiful rear cover image that reflects the contents. They are a joy to hold in the hand.

All texts are taken, except where noted, from the Perseus Project under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States license, and have been lightly adjusted to reflect standard modern views of punctuation.

Please note that all texts are solely in the original languages (Latin and Greek).

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Vergili Aeneis

The capstone of Roman literature, Virgil's masterpiece comes alive when read straight through in the original from the proem to the death of Turnus. Read a book a day for two weeks of unforgettable artistic pleasure.

This edition also includes the supplementary Book XIII of Maffeo Vegio.

Horati Opera

King of lyric poets, friendly advisor, sharp-tongued satirist, Horace is unique in world literature for having attempted so many genres and having achieved the first rank in every one of them. Keep this volume on your coffee table or at your bedside and you will never lack a reason to love, and laugh at, humanity.

This edition includes the Satires, Epodes, Odes, Carmen Saeculare, and Epistles (including the Ars Poetica).

Ovidii Metamorphoses

The wittiest of long poems, Ovid's masterpiece locates the continuity of human life in the mutability of human experience. Immerse yourself in the mind of the most skillful master of the hexameter with this beautiful volume.

While maintaining the absence of line numbers that is the raison d'être of these Reader's Editions, to help readers find favourite passages this edition features short titles (usually names) in the margin for each major episode.

Lucani Pharsalia

The under-appreciated Roman political epic by Lucan, among the most famous of Nero's victims. Part meditation on Roman destiny, part Gothic thriller, this unique poem converts the struggle of Caesar and Pompey into the culmination of history. For the student of Roman history looking for a poetic touch, or the lover of poetry wishing to take a break from myth, Lucan's passionate love of Rome offers a unique aesthetic experience.

Lucreti De Rerum Natura

The most famous philosophical poem of all time, Lucretius' exposition of the Epicurean doctrine is a triumph of philosophic clarity paired with poetic sensibility. The earliest fully extant work of non-dramatic Roman verse, Lucretius has found many imitators but no equals. Embark on the Epicurean high seas with this highly accessible version of the original Latin text.

Homeri Odyssea

First in our line of Greek-language editions of ancient classics is Homer's Odyssey. With a smooth and readable typeface, an attractive limit to the number of lines per page (22, as for our Latin epic editions), and beautifully designed, this is an Odyssey to live with.

Homeri Ilias

This readerly edition of the Iliad offers one of the most sustained experiences of literature possible: the 15,693 verses of the standard vulgate version (using Munro and Allen's 1920 edition). At more than 750 pages, this paperback packs a wallop, yet every page is a fresh encounter with the brave, bold vision of Homer.