Latin Poetry Podcast

O Socii ‘O socii—neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum— O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem. Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantis 200 accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopea saxa experti: revocate animos, maestumque timorem mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum tendimus in Latium; sedes ubi fata […]

Juvenal Sat. 1.1-21 Semper ego auditor tantum? numquamne reponam uexatus totiens rauci Theseide Cordi? inpune ergo mihi recitaverit ille togatas, hic elegos? inpune diem consumpserit ingens Telephus aut summi plena iam margine libri scriptus et in tergo necdum finitus Orestes? nota magis nulli domus est sua quam mihi lucus Martis et Aeoliis vicinum rupibus antrum […]

Chief of Monsters Monstrorum princeps, Elephans proboscide saevus horret mole nigra, dente micat niveo. sed vario fugienda malo cum belua gliscat, est tamen excepti mors pretiosa feri. nam quae conspicimus montani roboris ossa humanis veniunt usibus apta satis. consulibus sceptrum, mensis decus, arma tablistis, discolor et tabulae calculus inde datur. haec est humanae semper mutatio […]

In honor of Spain’s recent world cup victory,here’s a bit of Claudian on the glories of Spain (Hispania to the Romans): Claudian Laus Serenae Quid dignum memorare tuis, Hispania, terris vox humana valet? primo levat aequore solem India: tu fessos exacta luce iugales proluis inque tuo respirant sidera fluctu. dives equis, frugum facilis, pretiosa metallis, […]

Hi everybody! Sorry for the extended hiatus. The summer should bring time for more frequent updates. Hope you enjoy this bit of Ovid. The translation here is my own. Ov. Ars Amatoria 1.1-24 Siquis in hoc artem populo non novit amandi, Hoc legat et lecto carmine doctus amet. Arte citae veloque rates remoque moventur, Arte […]

Here is Brendan Boston reading a section from the iambic preface that Prudentius wrote to his hexameter mini-epic, the Psychomachia, composed around AD 400. It discusses food, and how important nutrition is for the body. He covers many interesting topics that you wouldn’t expect, like food for your pets for example. Making sure that you […]

Here is a recording by Amy Hall of a lovely passage from near the end of Psychomachia (or “Battle within the Soul”), written around AD 400 by the Spanish-born Latin poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (whom you may now befriend onFacebook). Psychomachia 770-784 Amy Hall pax plenum Virtutis opus, pax summa laborum, pax belli exacti pretium […]

Horace, Odes 1.1 Maecenas atauis edite regibus, o et praesidium et dulce decus meum, sunt quos curriculo puluerem Olympicum collegisse iuuat metaque feruidis euitata rotis palmaque nobilis5 terrarum dominos euehit ad deos; hunc, si mobilium turba Quiritium certat tergeminis tollere honoribus; illum, si proprio condidit horreo quicquid de Libycis uerritur areis.10 Gaudentem patrios findere sarculo […]

Hexamater lists All 12 of the chief Roman gods (Ennius): Iuno Vesta Minerva Ceres Diana Venus Mars Mercurius Iovis Neptunus Volcanus Apollo Ingredients of a cocktail called dodra (Ausonius): Ius aqua mel vinum panis piper herba oleum sal All letters of the Latin alphabet: Duc, Zephyre exsurgens, durum cum flatibus aequor All parts of speech: […]

Filelfo Odes 1.9 Si te trux adeo podagra torquet, nec cessat laterum dolor, podarge, affligitque premens nec exeundi urinae reperit viam profusus imber, pone modum gulae voraci 5 et dirae veneri. Quibus per omnis quando luxurias ruis protervus, morbum non pateris subactus unum. Membris te cruciat doloris haerens aestus. Quo penitus furis procellis 10 excitus […]