Excerpt from The Pharsalia of Lucan: Literally Translated Into English Prose With Copious Notes In the following Translation, the text of Weise has been adopted, except in a few instances, where the readings of Cortius, Weber, or the older Commentators, appeared preferable. It is much to be regretted that, notwithstanding their labours, the text still remains in a corrupt state. The Pharsalia has not been previously translated into English prose; but there have been two poetical versions, one by Thomas May, in 1627, the other by Nicholas Rowe. The latter is too well known to require comment; the former, though replete with the quaint expressions peculiar to the early part of the seventeenth century, has the merit of adhering closely to the original, and is remarkable for its accuracy. The present translation has been made on the same principle as those of Ovid and Plautus in the Classical Library; it is strictly literal, and is intended to be a faithful reflex, not only of the author's meaning, but, as nearly as possible, of his actual modes of expression. To enhance the value of the work in an historical point of view, the narrative has been illustrated by a comparison with parallel passages in the Commentaries of Caesar, and the works of other ancient historians who have treated of the wars between Pompey and Caesar. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."