ANCIENT GREEK AUTHORS

Compiled by Andrew Stoddart

Some of the books we stock can be found on the pages listed below, though it has to be pointed out that fewer than half of our new books and NONE of our second hand books are on these pages. If you can make it to the shop you will definately find it a worthwhile trip (Click on the 'Hellenic' logo above to go to our home page which will open up a new window).

As we only stock one or two of some of the books listed in the pages above, we do run out of stock on a regular basis. Equally we have no control over availability of a book; if a title goes out of print I will endeavour to remove it from here, but if it is 'Reprinting' or 'reprint under consideration', I will not. We will let you know immediately if there is a problem with any order. Andrew

Loebs are proceeded by this icon:

These are hardback, parallel text (Greek on one page and an English translation on the opposite page) books. We stock around 3/4 of the 550 or so volumes available at any given time, but which titles we have in stock are forever changing. The translations are slowly being updated, with the Greek playrights almost complete now and consequently they now produce some of the best translations on the market. Loebs do not have notes or commentaties (Aris and Philips are far better for that), but are an absolutely essential part of the classics world, making some texts and more importantly their translations, available in English where there would be otherwise be none. The price of a Loeb is £14.50 per volume across the board, which means that you can get the complete Plays of Aeschylus at that price though if you wish to own the complete works of Plutarch it would set you back £377.00, as there are 26 of those in Loeb

Oxford Classical texts are proceeded by this icon:

The OCT's are very reliable Greek texts, with Latin footnotes. The pricing system is complicated with some as cheap as £9.99 rising to £40.00 and those prices increase on a regular basis. They are all hardback and the series is an ongoing one.  Undergraduates are often asked to use the OCTs, though as they do not have commentaries it may be necessary to, in some instances to have alternative texts too.

Penguins are proceeded by this icon

Good ol' reliable Penguins. Most of these translations are rather aged now, but the Penguin Classics do get new translations occassionaly. Big problem with that is the old translation usually stays in print, creating a situation where a student needs to know not only the publisher but the translator too. Examples of this are Euripides' Hippolytus which is a set text on some boards, but there are two of them (Vellacott and Fagles), so make sure you know which you are using. There are 3 Penguins to Homer's Iliad (most likely that you will want the Hammond translation) and 2 for the Odyssey (Rieu is the most likely). Penguins are perfect for 'Classical Civilisation' or 'Ancient History' studies, less so for 'Classics' itself. Prices vary wildly

Cambridge Green and Yellow texts are proceeded by this icon:

Superb texts with accompanying commentaries and exhaustive notes, the 'Green and Yellows' are perfect for those studying Ancient Greek. All are available in both hardback and paperback, but as the price differential is huge,  I have only included the paperbacks in the list of those which we stock. Comparable with Clarendon (see below) in quality and as this is a very recent series, all of the texts are relatively fresh.

Various Notes are proceeded by this icon:

There are 3 different notes that the symbol above is likely to be indicating: York Notes, Cliff Notes and Max Notes. All have their uses but my favourites are the York notes, probably because I was brought up with them. Mostly useful for classical civilisation, these notes give you a chapter -by-chapter appraisal of the texts, but if you are studying PLEASE read the text and do not rely on the notes as a substitute. Where the symbol indicates notes I have placed beside the title which notes these are.

Clarendon texts are proceeded by this icon:

Excellent commentaries to Greek texts (some of them do not include the text itself - Herodotus and Homer for instance), with footnotes and line by line dissection.  WIth the Cambridge Green and Yellows these are the best commentaries on Ancient Greek texts, available in the English language.

Chicago translations are proceeded by this icon:

Alternatives to the Penguin translations, this series edited by Grene and Lattimore are in many cases better translations. The series is especially strong on the Greek playwrites: Aeshylus, Sophocles and Euripides

Bristol Classical texts are proceeded by this icon:

Perfect for those studying for GCSE (an exam usually taken at 16 years of age) and Advanced Level (taken at 18 years old), Ancient Greek. The commentaries are good enough to allow  students to have a thorough understanding of the text, without blinding them with science. Most of these texts are reprints of old 'MacMillan' press originals, some going back to the turn of the 20th century, but there are an increasing number of Bristol originals too. Greek and Latin are increasingly popular subjects and without the availibility of these texts there would be very little for the young student to read, so well done BSP in keeping these books alive.

Aris and Phillips parallel texts are proceeded by this icon:

Superb translations sit opposite the original Greek. Not only are the translations the best obtainable but all Aris and Phillips books come with exhaustive commentaries and notes as well. These commentaries make A&P books far more useful than Loebs for the undergraduate and are essential for a thorough understanding of the original text.

Oxford World Classics are proceeded by this icon:

Very good translations of the classics into English, the OWCs are good value and an excellent alternative to the Penguin translations and tend to be more modern too.

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