Latin poetry is defined by its relationships with poetry in other languages. It was originally constituted by its relation to Greek, and in later times has been constituted by its relation to the European vernaculars. In this bold and innovative book, distinguished Latinist Stephen Hinds explores these relationships through a series of vignettes. These explore ancient conversations between Latin and Greek verse texts, followed by modern (especially early modern) conversations between Latin and European vernacular verse texts, reflecting the linked stories of reception that make up the so-called 'classical tradition': conversations across language, across period, and sometimes both at the same time. The book's range is expansive, ranging from Homer through Virgil and the Augustans to late antiquity, the Renaissance, Romanticism and on to Seamus Heaney. There is an especial focus on the parallel vernacular and Latin output of Milton and Marvell in England and Du Bellay in France.

‘Treating the classical tradition as more process than product, this splendid study explores poetry across languages (Latin and Greek, Latin and European vernaculars), and issues raised by bilingualism and multilingualism, a subject of great cultural significance. Stephen Hinds is quite simply one of the smartest classicists in the world today, and this is an adult book for adult readers.'

Charles Martindale - University of York

‘Another brilliant and important intervention from Stephen Hinds, with intertextuality and poetic self-consciousness at its core. The local insights and fierce grip on linguistic detail that one would expect from this author are accompanied by impressively broad interpretative parameters: a rare coupling.'

Christopher Whitton - University of Cambridge