Ebook Lays of Ancient Rome

In preparing notes for this edition of the Lays, the editor has had in mind chiefly the needs of the non-classical student, to whom the text presents much that he is not all familiar with. What any reader needs, in order to derive the greatest satisfaction from the reading, is a clear appreciation of the circumstances and situations as they might appear to a Roman for whom the Lays are assumed to have been written. To go further than this, and make the Lays a basis for the extended study of Roman history, geography, mythology, ad antiquities, would, in the editor's opinion, be a mistake. The author deemed his own introductions to the several Lays to be sufficient; but these take for granted a certain amount of knowledge that young readers cannot fairly be assumed to possess; and even the customary explanatory notes, unless inordinately extended, leave something to be desired. One needs to read at some length the accounts that historians have given of Rome in the early days, in order to surround himself with the right atmosphere, so to speak, in which to read the Lays with the keenest appreciation. Any good history of Rome that has a good index may be used for the purpose here indicated.

The editor has not often yielded to the ever-present temptation to give the meanings of words that can be found in a dictionary. Some such words needs additional explanation or illustration, but in general the student should learn to depend upon his own research.