List of recommended commentaries:
This list contains suggestions about which texts to use for the Q list and also about basic commentaries that may be useful. The numbers in square brackets before the titles indicate their intended audience:
[1]: ‘school editions’, mainly of use for vocabulary and grammar.
[2]: ‘college editions’, more advanced, but still aimed at (college-level) students.
[3]: ‘scholarly editions’, more advanced still, and aimed in part or wholly at scholars.
Since its purpose is to help a first reading of Q texts, this list only includes a few [3]-type commentaries. You can find the standard scholarly commentaries for many authors in the Classics Reading Rooms in Olin. For further bibliography, you can also consult the Oxford Bibliographies Online via the library webpage.
Greek
Aeschylus: Agamemnon text: West 1991 Teubner.
commentaries:
[1] Raeburn, D. and Thomas, O. (eds.), The Agamemnon of Aeschylus: A Commentary for Students (Oxford: 2011).
[2] Denniston, J.D. & Page, D. (eds.), Aeschylus, Agammenon (Oxford: 1957).
Aristophanes: Frogs text: Dover (below)
commentaries:
[1] Stanford, W.B. (ed.), Aristophanes. The Frogs (London: 1958).
[2] Dover, K. (ed.), Aristophanes. Frogs (Oxford: 1993).
Aristotle: NE I: text: Bywater OCT.
commentaries:
[1] Banchich, T. (ed.) Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Book 1 (Bryn Mawr: 2004).
[2] Grant, A., The Ethics of Aristotle [2] Vol. II (1885).
[3] Stewart, J.A., Notes on the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle, vol. 2 (Oxford: 1890).
Euripides: Bacchae text: OCT Diggle
commentaries:
[2] Dodds, E. R. (ed.), Euripides: Bacchae (2d ed., Oxford: 1960).
Gorgias: Helen text: MacDowell (below)
[2] MacDowell, D.M (ed.), Encomium of Helen / Gorgias (reprint, Bristol: 1993).
Hellenistic poetry: text: Hopkinson (below)
[2] Hopkinson, N., A Hellenistic Anthology (Cambridge: 1988)
Hesiod: Theogony text: West (below)
[3] West, M.L. (ed.), Hesiod. Theogony (Oxford: 1966).
Herodotus: I text: OCT Herodotus. Historiae Hude. 3d ed. 2 vols.
commentaries:
[1] Sheets, G. A. (ed.), Herodotus, Book I. (Bryn Mawr: 1993).
[3] Asheri, David, A. B. Lloyd, and A. Corcella (eds), A commentary on Herodotus I–IV (Oxford Univ. Press, 2007).
Homer: Iliad XIX-XXIV, Odyssey XIX-XXIV.
Texts: OCTs or, for the Iliad: Homerus, Ilias. Edited by Martin L. West. Stuttgart, Germany: Teubner 1998–2000
commentaries:
[2] For Od. 19–24:
Russo, J., Fernandez-Galiano, M., and Heubeck, A. (eds.), A commentary on Homer’s Odyssey (Books 17–24) (Oxford).
Rutherford, R.B. (ed.), Odyssey Books XIX and XX (Cambridge: 1992).
[3] For Il. 19–20:
Edwards, M. W. (ed.), The Iliad: A commentary, vol. 5 (Books 17–20). (Cambridge: 1991).
[3] For Il. 20–24:
Richardson, N. J. (ed.), The Iliad: A commentary, vol. 6 (Books 21–24) (Cambridge: 1993).
Lyrici : Selected poems
[2] Campbell, D.A., Greek Lyric Poetry (Bristol: 1991), to be supplemented by
[2] Budelmann, F., Greek lyric: A selection (Cambridge: 2018).
Lysias: I, VII, XII, XXIV text: Lysiae orationes OCT ed. C. Carey. 2007.
commentaries:
For 1:
[1] Scodel, R. (ed.) Lysias: Orations I, III. (Bryn Mawr: 1986).
[2] Carey, C. (ed.) Selected speeches / Lysias (Cambridge:1989).
For 7:
[2] Carey, as above.
For 12:
[1] Edwards, M.J. (ed.), Five speeches (reprint, Bristol: 1999).
For 24:
[1] Adams, C.D. (ed.), Lysias. Selected speeches XII, XVI, XIX, XXII, XXIV, XXV, XXXII (New York: 1905).
[1] Edwards, M. J., and Usher, S. Greek orators I. Antiphon and Lysias. (Warminster: 1985).
Menander: Dyscolos text: WG Arnott (ed.) Menander Vol. 1 (Loeb, 1979).
commentaries:
[2] Handley, E.W. (ed.), Menander. Dyskolos (London: 1965).
[3] Gomme, A.W. and Sandbach, F.H. (eds). Menander: A commentary (Oxford: 1973).
Pindar: O. I-III, P. I & III, Is. I text: Bruno Snell & Hervicus Maehler. 1987. Pindari carmina cum fragmentis. Vol. 1, 8th ed. Leipzig: Teubner.
commentaries:
For all but O. 3 and P. 3:
[2] Kirkwood, G. (ed.), Selections from Pindar. (Chico, CA: 1982).
For O. 3 and P. 3:
[2] Gildersleeve, B. L. (ed.), Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian odes (New York: 1979 [1885]).
Plato: Symposium text: J Burnet (ed.), OCT Platonis Opera Vol, II.
commentaries:
[1] Rose, G. Plato: Symposium (Bryn Mawr: 1998).
[2] Dover, J.K. (ed.), Plato: Symposium (Cambridge: 1980).
Plutarch: How to listen to poets text: Plutarchus Moralia Vol.1 (ed.) W Paton, Teubner 1998.
commentaries:
[2] Hunter, R. & Russell, D. (eds.), Plutarch: How to study poetry (Cambridge: 2011).
Sophocles: OT text: Sophoclis Fabulae OCT 1990 (ed.) Lloyd-Jones & Wilson or RD Dawe (ed.) Teubner 1984.
commentaries:
[1] Rusten, J. (ed.), Sophocles. Oedipus tyrannos (Bryn Mawr: 1991).
[2] Dawe, R.D. (ed.), Sophocles Oedipus Rex (Cambridge: 1982).
Thucydides: II text: OCT 1942.
commentaries:
[2] Rusten, J.S. (ed.), Thucydides. The Peloponnesian war Book II. (Cambridge: 1989).
Xenophon: Apology, Symposium text: Marchant OCT.
commentaries:
For Apology:
[1] Konstan, D. (ed.), Xenophon’s Apology of Socrates (Bryn Mawr: 1987).
[2] Pucci, P. (ed.), Xenophon. Socrates’ Defense, with text (Marchant OCT) and commentary (Amsterdam: 2002).
[2] Denyer, N. (ed.), Plato and Xenophon, Apologies of Socrates (Cambridge: 2019).
For Symposium:
[1] Miller, A. (ed.) Xenophon’s Symposium. (Bryn Mawr: 2005).
[2] Bowen, A.J.. Xenophon; Symposium, with an Introduction, Translation and Commentary (Warminster: 1998).
Latin
Archaic: Selected fragments [Accius Brutus; Andronicus Odusia; Caecilius Plocium; Cato De falsis pugnis; Ennius Ann. I, Andromache, Medea; Epitaphs of the Scipios; Salian & Arval Hymns; Lucilius virtus fr.; Lutatius Catulus epigrams, Naevius Bellum Poenicum, Tarentilla, Cum Metellis Altercatio; Pacuvius fortuna & profectio fr., Porcius Licinius epigrams, Valerius Aedituus epigrams, Volcacius Sedigitus iudicium comicorum fr.]
texts:
Ernout, A., Recueil de textes latins archaiques (Paris: 1966).
Marx, F., C. Lucilii carminum reliquiae (Teubner, 1905).
E.H. Warmington, Remains of Old Latin vols. 1-4 (Loeb Classical Library).
commentaries:
[3] Courtney, E.C., Fragmentary Latin Poets (Oxford: 1993).
[3] Hollis, A.S. Fragments of Roman Poetry (Oxford: 2007).
[3] Skutch, O., Ennius Annales (Oxford: 1985).
Apuleius: Cupid & Psyche: text: Hanson (Loeb, 1989)
commentaries:
[2] Kenney, E.J. (ed.), Apuleius: Cupid & Psyche. (Cambridge: 1990).
Catullus: 1-68: text: DFS Thomson (ed.), Catullus (U of Toronto press, 1997)
commentaries:
[1] Garrison, D. (ed.), The Student’s Catullus (Norman: 2004).
[2] Fordyce, C.J. (ed.), Catullus (Oxford: 1990).
[2] Quinn, K. (ed.), Catullus: The Poems (Bristol: 1996).
Caesar: Bellum Civile III: text: OCT
commentaries:
[1] EC Kennedy (ed.) Caesar De Bello Civili III (Bristol Classical Press reprint 2002).
[2] JM Carter (ed.), Julius Caesar The Civil War Book III (Aris & Phillips, 1993).
Cicero:
In Catilinam I & III:
[1] Gould, H.E. & Whiteley, J.L. (eds.), Cicero In Catinilam I & II (reprint, Bristol: 1982).
[2] Dyck, A. (ed.), Cicero Catilinarians (Cambridge: 2008).
Pro Caelio:
[1] Engelert, W. (ed.), Cicero Pro Caelio (Bryn Mawr: 1990).
[2] Dyck, A. (ed.), Pro Marco Caelio (Cambridge: 2013).
[3] Austin, R.G., M. Tulli Ciceronis Pro Celio oratio (Oxford: 1963).
Selected letters [no.s 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 45, 48, 51, 52, 63, 66, 70, 73 in SB edition below]
[2] Bailey, S. Cicero: Select Letters (Cambridge: 1980)
Horace: Ars Poetica, Odes III: text: F. Klingner (Teubner, 1959)
commentaries:
[1] Gould, H.E. & Whiteley, J.L. (eds.), Odes Book Three (London: 1953).
[1] Garrison, D. (ed.), Horace: Epodes and Odes (Norman: 1998).
[1] Quinn, K. Horace Odes (London: 1984).
[2] Williams, G. (ed.), The Third Book of Horace’s Odes (Oxford: 1969).
[2] Rudd, N. (ed.), Horace: Epistles Book II and Ars Poetica (Cambridge: 1990).
Juvenal: I, X: text: W.V. Clausen (OCT)
commentaries:
[1] Rudd, N. & Courtney, E. (eds.), Juvenal Satires I, III, X (Bristol)
[2] Hardy, E.G. (ed.), The Satires of Juvenal (London: 1959)
[2] Braund, S.M. (ed.), Juvenal Satires Book I (Cambridge: 1996). [Sat. 1 only.]
Livy: I: text: R.M. Ogilvie (OCT)
commentaries:
[1] Gaisser, J.H. (ed.), Livy Book 1: commentary (Bryn Mawr: 2002).
[1] Gould, H.E. & Whiteley, J.L. (eds.), Livy: Book I (reprint, Bristol: 1993)
Lucan: VII: texts: A.E. Housman (Cambridge), Shackleton Bailey (Teubner)
commentaries:
[2] Dilke, O., Lucan Be Bello Civili VII (reprint, Bristol: 1998)
[2] Roche, P., Lucan De Bello Civili VII (Cambridge: 2019).
Lucretius: III: text: MF Smith (rev.) W Rouse (ed.), Lucretius De rerum natura (Loeb, 1992 rev. ed.).
commentaries:
[2] Leonard, W. & Smith, S. (eds.), De rerum Natura (Madison: 1942).
[2] Kenney, E. (ed.), De rerum natura Book III (Cambridge: 2014).
Ovid: Metamorphoses I: texts: W.S. Anderson (Teubner), R. Tarrant (OCT)
commentaries:
[1] Lee, A.G. (ed.), Metamorphoses I (Cambridge: 1953).
[2] Anderson, W.S. (ed.), Ovid’s Metamorphoses Books 1–5. (Norman: 1997).
Petronius: Cena: text: K. Mueller (Teubner)
commentaries:
[2] Smith, M.S. (ed.), Cena Trimalchionis / Petronii Arbitri (Oxford: 1975).
Plautus: Pseudolus: text: W.M. Lindsay (OCT)
commentaries:
[1] Wilcock, M. (ed.), Plautus Pseudolus (reprint, Bristol: 1991)
[2] Christensen, D. (ed.), Plautus Pseudolus (Cambridge: 2020).
Propertius: I: text: S.J. Heyworth (OCT, 2007)
commentaries:
[2] Camps, W.A. (ed.), Propertius Elegies Book I (Cambridge: 1966).
[3] Butler, H. E., and Barber, E.A. (eds.), The Elegies of Propertius (Oxford: 1933).
Sallust: Catilina: text: L.D. Reynolds (OCT)
commentaries:
[2] Ramsey, J.T. (ed). Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae (Oxford: 2007).
Seneca: Letters 7, 24, 47, 56, 88, 90, 114, 122 text: L. Reynolds OCT
commentaries:
[1] Motto, A.L. (ed.), Seneca’s Moral Epistles (Wauconda: 2007).
[2] Edwards, C. (ed.), Seneca Selected Letters (Cambridge: 2019).
[2] Summers, W. (ed.), Select Letters of Seneca (Bristol).
Seneca: Thyestes: text: O. Zweirlein (OCT)
commentaries:
[2] Boyle, A.J. Seneca, Thyestes (Oxford: 2017).
[3] Tarrant, R.J. (ed.), Seneca’s Thyeste (Atlanta: 1985).
Tacitus: Agricola: text: R.M. Oglivie (OCT)
commentaries:
[3] Ogilvie, R.M. & Richmond, I. (eds.), Tacitus Agricola (Oxford: 1967).
Terence: Eunuchus: text: Kauer & Lindsay OCT.
commentaries:
[2] Barsby, J. (ed.), Terence Eunuchus (Cambridge: 1999).
Virgil: Aeneid VII-XII text: Mynors, OCT, G.B. Conte (Teubner)
commentaries:
[1] Williams, R., (ed.), Virgil Aeneid VII-XII (Bristol: 1998).
[2] Fordyce, C. J. Aeneidos Libri VII-VIII. With a Commentary (Oxford: 1977.).
[2] Hardie, P.R. Virgil, Aeneid Book IX (Cambridge: 1995).
[3] Harrison, S. J. Aeneid 10 (Oxford: 1991).
[2] Gransden, K. W. Virgil, Aeneid Book XI (Cambridge: 1991).
[2] Tarrant, R.J. (ed.) Virgil Aeneid Books XII (Cambridge: 2012).