“Presents a meticulous, well-structured analysis of late Republican Roman translation practices as exemplified in the poetry of Catullus. . . . Recommended.”

Choice

“Offers a valuable addition to . . . recent interest in recovering ancient translation, arguing persuasively that translation stands at the heart of Roman cultural production and, in particular, of Catullus’ literary program. Through close readings, Young astutely analyzes how Catullus mediates and manipulates Greek and Roman literature, culture, and identity. Along the way, she successfully demonstrates that translation can be not only a specific product or technique, but also an overarching mindset through which Catullus and other Latin speakers negotiated their polyglot Mediterranean.”

Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“[Young] is a witty and intelligent critic, with whom it is a pleasure to spend time, and whose close reading of the poems is a delight.”
 

Classics for All

“A fascinating monograph. . . . [Young] offers original readings of a number of Catullan poems as well as a novel understanding of the importance of translation in Roman culture and poetics.”

Classical Journal

“An invigorating new study of the poetry of Catullus, and a contribution to our understanding of the extraordinary era in which he lived and wrote.”

Greece and Rome

“Translation as Muse offers a coherent and stimulating reading of Catullus’s oeuvre. A major strength of the study lies in its readings of individual poems, and Young proves herself a fine literary critic. This book is a valuable contribution to the study of Catullus and of Roman Hellenism.”

William Fitzgerald, King’s College London

“Translation as Muse presents a new theoretical model of Roman translation practice in which drastic alteration of the original in an attempt to outdo it (aemulatio) is the motive force behind literary creation. Tracing Catullus’s part in culturally appropriating the Greek past through radical revision of his source texts, Young produces provocative metapoetic readings of familiar works. Critics should welcome this volume as a major contribution to both Catullan scholarship and translation studies.”

Marilyn B. Skinner, University of Arizona

"Translation as Muse will, I hope, be a work that prods and influences not just Catullanists but Classicists more generally. Elizabeth Young’s monograph on Catullan (and Roman) translation is refined and compelling. . . .Translation as Muse displays a real depth of learning, on Catullus’ poetry itself as well as on his Greek antecedents, his Roman historical context and various processes of cultural appropriation in the ancient Mediterranean. It deserves to be read widely by lovers of Latin poetry, and to last beyond its own age."

Journal of Roman Studies