William Kelly Prentice: Those Ancient Dramas Called Tragedies. Pp. 194; 2 plates. Princeton: University Press (London: Milford), 1942. Cloth, 16s. 6d. net.

Abstract

This substantial selection from Burck's varied output consists principally of work published since the appearance of the first volume of his opera minora in 1966. The range and quality of his scholarhip, which was well illustrated by the reviewer of that instalment (CR n.s. 17 [1967] 323-5), is equally conspicuous here. B.'s comprehensive grasp of both historical and literary sources and problems is seen to particular advantage in such a piece as 'Die Vorbereitung des taciteischen Menschenund Herrscherbildes in der Dichtung der friihen romischen Kaiserzeit', a valuable reminder that Tacitus was in his way just as much a poet as Lucan or Seneca a truth, I think, not universally acknowledged by ancient historians. I find myself unaroused by B.'s competent but essentially apologetic expositions of Flavian epic; but the section on Augustan poetry contains one or two notable items. Previously (to all intents and purposes) unpublished is' Optima cum pulchris animis Romana iuventus (Verg. Aen. 10, 362-379; Liv. 22, 50, 4-12)', a convincing demonstration of a common Ennian original. Also admirable is 'Zur Komposition des vierten Buches des Properz', which deserves to be better known than I suspect it is. One or two other Propertian contributions are sound rather than exciting. On Ovid B. is less happy: his treatment of Amores 1. 3, a key poem for the understanding of Ovid's literary purposes as an elegist, strikes me as bland and superficial. Other items include a substantial discussion of Cicero's rhetorical writings and several useful surveys of broader social and historiographical topics. A mixed bag, then, as was to be expected, and all in all an imposing testimony to B.'s scholarly stature. The book is well edited, except that it was inconsiderate to oblige users of this volume to refer back to Volume I for bibliographical details of some of the pieces. 159