Finally, it may be useful to list a few books that help to put the political life of the late Republic in a
broader social context: C. Nicolet, The World of the Citizen in Republican Rome (London, 1980); J.
Crook, Law and Life in Rome (London, 1977); W. Liebeschuetz, Continuity and Change in Roman
Religion (Oxford, 1979); K. Hopkins, Conquerors and Slaves (Cambridge, 1978); Death and Renewal
(Cambridge, 1983); C. Wirszubski, Libertas as a Political Idea at Rome (Cambridge, i960).
- The Poets Of The Late Republic (By Robin Nisbet)
Lucretius
The best way of finding what Lucretius was like is to buy M. F. Smith's revision (Cambridge, Mass.,
1975), including text and translation, of W. H. D. Rouse's Loeb edition. The standard commentary is by
C. Bailey (3 vols., Oxford, 1947, including text and translation); this is particularly informative on the
Epicurean background, but is long for non-specialists. There is a good short commentary on Book III by
E.J. Kenney (Cambridge, 1971).
E.J. Kenney has summarized the issues in a very useful pamphlet (Lucretius. Greece & Rome New
Surveys in the Classics, no. 11, Oxford, 1977). D. West, The Imagery and Poetry of Lucretius
(Edinburgh, 1969) encourages the reader to look closely at the Latin, and should be compulsory reading
for all who wish to understand any Roman poetry. D. R. Dudley, Lucretius (London, 1965), includes
articles of varying interest by different hands. P. Boyance, Lucrece et I'epicurisme (Pans, 1963), is a
specialized account of the philosophy of the poem.
Catullus
The best introduction is G. P. Goold, Catullus (London, 1983); this contains a text that is more radical
than most, and a facing translation that is both literal and literary. The best English commentary is by C.
J. Fordyce (Oxford, 1961, revised 1973); this includes Mynors's Oxford text except for a number of
poems that have been expurgated. The commentary by K. Quinn (London, 1970), which contains all the
poems, is better on bibliography but less good on Latin.
A.L. Wheeler, Catullus and the Traditions of Ancient Poetry (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1934) is full
and informative, but old-fashioned in manner and some of its matter. K. Quinn, The Catullan Revolution
(Melbourne, 1959; Cambridge, 1969) covers less ground but will appeal more to the literary reader.
Perceptive criticism may be found in the relevant chapters of R.O.A.M. Lyne, The Latin Love Poets
from Catullus to Horace (Oxford, 1980) and R. Jenkyns, Three Classical Poets/Sappho, Catullus and
Juvenal (London, 1983); the latter helps the reader to appreciate the beauty of the poet's words. T. P.
Wiseman, Catullus and his World (Cambridge, 1985) gives an expert and very readable account of the
social and political background.