Meh. Eclogue #4 is kind-of interesting given the big discussion in Christendom on whether or not it can be considered a prophecy of Christ, but the rest is not my type of poetry.

Rating: 2-2.5 Stars (Okay).

I like the eclogues in the Day Lewis translation.
The Georgics are very bizarre. I really only like the end of number four.
20 some years ago when I read these (in a different translation) I liked the Georgics and thought the Eclogues were vapid nothings. I think it is funny that now in my 60's I think the reverse.

I enjoyed the Ecologues (mostly). The Georgics, not so much. I hesitate to give it only 3 stars since it’s considered a classic, so I assume the problem lies with me.

La idealización de la vida y el trabajo en el campo como símbolo de la pureza nacional ya existía en la antigua Roma. Pero en vez de grabar vídeos para ser virales, escribían poemas que elogiasen ese bucolismo. Virgilio va de lo romántico a lo didáctico en 14 piezas influyentes.

This book proves I’m not very pastoral.

Well, the physical book came apart from the spine when I was about 3/4 of the way through, which became distracting for the rest of it. Otherwise I enjoyed it somewhat, but probably wouldn’t give it a second read for pleasure. There are so many references that I don’t know and have to look up that I had to choose between not fully understanding the references or interrupting the passages to look it up. I fully admit I’m not smart enough to fully appreciate this

I read this concurrently w/ 'Less is More' by Jason Hickel, which starts out w/ a (pretty simplistic) synopsis of the history of Capitalism. The central argument though is that the Capitalist system was initially enabled by the artificial creation of scarcity and the violent appropriation of others' wealth. And the author talks about this taking place first during the enclosure movement - which kicked peasants off of land and out of communities that were largely self sustaining, all in the name of progress and increasing the productivity of the land and the peasants. (Howard Zinn makes a similar argument).

Hickel argues that the enclosure movement was the first time in history that people were systematically removed from their livelihoods in this fashion - but of course we know that's not true. The same was happening in Virgil's time and for largely similar reasons. Farmers were removed from public land in Roman Italy by force, first by rich urban elites consolidating their holdings during the Gracchi troubles and then by all of the soldiers who needed to be placated after the civil wars wound down. It's striking to read these two things side by side, and to think that similar socio-economic contexts operated in 50 BCE and 1500 CE.

I know this is a bit trite, but it's really got me thinking about human history as a struggle between a large and dispersed group of people who are living fairly contentedly with their lot and a much smaller group who are trying to take common resources to accrue greater economic/political power for themselves. Soil actually seems like a great representation of that. Farmers working an area for their livelihood have every incentive to treat soil well and keep crops in healthy rotation. It's only when you have a market incentive based on cash crops that you try to suck out as much fertility as possible before moving onto the next plot of land. Capitalism provides both incentive and method for unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. On the other hand, Virgil's writing is a very beautiful demonstration of the knowledge developed and care taken of the land by people who lived on it.

None of these are new ideas. I do wonder though if, as they make their way into mainstream consciousness and the environmental movement, they might allow for a pendulum swing of history back away from concentration of power in the hands of elites and the resultant pillaging of the environment. I still feel like rewilding is a potential philosophical torch to lead the way. But it seems like some ... class consciousness (to borrow a phrase from a movement that didn't work out very well) is required to motivate people shake off the old ways and follow the positive vision rewilding provides.

"l'âge emporte tout même la mémoire Souvent, il m'en souvient, lorsque j'étais enfant, je passais de longues journées à chanter : maintenant j'ai oublié tous ces vers" ... (in Méris)

Virgil is interesting, to say the least. His apparent obsession with hard work and the country probably arose from his move from the countryside to Rome during Octavian's rise to power. I don't often enjoy poetry, but this time it was tolerable, so I gave it three stars. His reference to a boy savior born of a virgin is mysterious, but most likely refers to Octavian rather than Christ, as Augustine thought. Overall, it's a good read and insightful.

Slavitt sometimes plays a little fast and loose with Virgil, but his resulting poems are re-inventions that make the work very immediate, as it would have been for Virgil's audience. Best to read his translations alongside the Loeb translations.

Agradezco a Alianza que haya sacado las dos juntas, ya que las Geórgicas suele ser más complicado pillarlas editadas (sin que sea Gredos). La traducción es un poco... pues eso, tres estrellas. Suenta todo un poco ripioso y cursi en las bucólicas y un poco densísimo en las Geórgicas. Pero bueno, seré yo que no sé. Y el problema no es Virgilio. Hiperión hizo una edición de las Bucólicas mucho más respetuosa y lírica, pero hay que agradecer el esfuerzo a Alianza.

Lette alcune per dovere scolastico. Non si è rivelata una brutta lettura.