Cornelius Nepos, 'Life of Hannibal': Latin Text, Notes, Maps, Illustrations and Vocabulary

Reviewed by Rosina Catalan, Adjunct Professor, Butler University on 6/10/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is ideal for the intermediate Latin student. A student can pick up the book and translate almost anywhere. The author provides a full introductory treatment to the genre of Biography in the ancient world, Nepos himself, and Hannibal. The Latin is written clearly and punctuated so as to guide students in their translations and there are links to audio files of the text. This book is comprehensive and provides complete contexts for the student/reader.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

There are links to listen to sections of text read out loud in Latin - but the links do not quite match. One can still find them - but it takes a bit of searching.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The links to audio files of the text reinforce a current trend of spoken Latin in Classics instruction - and remind the student that Latin can be a spoken language. The treatment of Hannibal and this text's placement in Late Republic politics serve as a guide to examine the multiculturalism of Rome in the Republic - a topic of enduring applicability.

Clarity rating: 5

The author's "Four Favorite Constructions" offers both the instructor and the students a guide for reading this text. The punctuation guides the reader in their English translations just as the grammar notes assist the reader with just the right amount of information - leaving the final product of reading comprehension up to the student.

Consistency rating: 5

Once accustomed to the format of this book the placement of grammar notes, texts, and links are entirely predictable. Such consistency helps students gain ground in their translation abilities.

Modularity rating: 5

The book continues with discrete selections of the Latin with supported commentaries and notes. There are links to further information.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is organized with an historical treatment of the Latin author Nepos then Carthaginian history. After setting several historical contexts the Latin text is organized by chapter.

Interface rating: 4

The maps are very good. There is a problem with the interface with links to the Dickinson College Commentaries. The other referenced links provide further study or references. The interface for those links seem to be fine.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar, both English and Latin, is excellent.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This texts offers a source for the examination of multiculturalism in Late Republican Rome and pre-Roman Carthage. The instructor may guide this examination and this textbook is an excellent source for such work.

Comments

I plan on adopting sections of this textbook.

Reviewed by E.Del Chrol, Professor, Marshall University on 10/25/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Book provides everything an intermediate student needs to read this text. The Latin is clear, the explanations of grammar in the commentary and the glossary make the bar for entry very low. Each section of the commentary has a brief summary of the contents of that section which will be particularly useful if a student's attendance is spotty, they will be able to orient themselves rapidly. The essays about the author, context, contents, perquisites and impacts of the events told are written at the appropriate level and were even interesting to me.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The only inaccuracy in the book is that the links to the Dickinson College Commentaries are out of date. It appears that DCC rearranged their website (the links to Allen and Greenough point to a different page) and deleted some files (there are no longer Faraone's recordings of Nepos in Latin). This isn't a critical problem, but I can see it being confusing to some students.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Nepos will never go out of style. The tone and language of the commentary and essays should be durable for years. There are no faddish idioms or hip lingo.

Clarity rating: 5

The text should be easily apprehensible by an intermediate Latin student

Consistency rating: 5

The text and commentary is even throughout, no shifts in tone or style.

Modularity rating: 5

The text and the commentary as well as the essays are easily divisible and excerptable. Each chapter and essay is linked in the Table of Contents. I can see an electronic syllabus using this easily

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book has standard organization for texts and commentaries.

Interface rating: 4

As mentioned above, the links to the DCC site lead to a landing page not the specific items listed. Because text, commentary and vocabare in different sections of the book, students will need to have three browser windows open to do their homework. This isn't grievous, but a little annoying.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is clean and clear.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Text is sensitive to multicultural issues internal to the Romans, and this in turn highlights these issues today. Quite useful.

Comments

The maps are quite handy and are up to date. Refers to other free texts where appropriate. Some of the commentary items are masterful in breaking down and explaining the structure of a complex sentence. This is an excellent book.