Roman Satire

Concentrating primarily on the literary and social functions of satire, Hooley (classical studies, U. of Missouri, Columbia) writes for undergraduate readers seeking relevance to modern life in their studies. Hooley shows how the concerns of a faltering governance and a declining society, or at least a governance and society that were showing signs of wear, instigated some of the greatest works of satire ever from such as Lucilius, Horace, Persius and Juvenal. He includes extensive references to social conditions that sparked the writings, explains the contexts and provides comparative and intertextual analysis right up through the Menippean tradition. The result is accessible but still rigorous, and, believe it or not, Hooley's selections are actually funny and relevant. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Daniel M. Hooley is Associate Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Missouri, Columbia. His previous publications include The Classics in Paraphrase: Ezra Pound and Modern Translators of Latin Poetry (1988) and The Knotted Thong: Structures of Mimesis in Persius (1997).