Michael M Dediu

Vergilius, Horatius, Ovidius, and Shakespeare Michael M Dediu

Who said "A home without books is a body without soul"?You guessed it - it was Marcus Tullius Cicero (3 Jan 106 BC - 7 Dec 43 BC, aged 63.9), more than 2050 years ago. When Cicero died, Vergilius was 27, Horatius 22, and Ovidius just over 8.5 months, therefore Cicero probably had some of the great poems of Vergilius and Horatius. A quote of Vergilius is "Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas" - Fortunate is he, who understood the causes of things. Hundreds of generations of students learned from Vergilius' Aeneid, as it profoundly changed how the Romans, and then all the world, think about poetry. Horatius said "Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem" - Remember to maintain a calm mind while doing difficult tasks. He certainly maintain a calm mind, and his poetry themes, like the beatus ille (an appraisal of simple life), and carpe diem ("enjoy the day") gained more and more importance to this day. Ovidius: "Omnia mutantur, nihil interit" - All things change, nothing perishes. He is best known for his 15-book epic narrative poem Metamorphoses, which changed everything. Shakespeare "Brevity is the soul of wit." He is the best-selling fiction author of all time (estimated 4 billions of copies sold). The lives of these legendary authors are fascinating, and this book for the general public is focused on a variety of relevant information not only about them, but also about numerous other personalities (Pythagoras, Plato, Cicero, Caesar, Antonius, Augustus) and important events. There are also many attractive photographs, and I thank my wife Sophia for her photo assistance. The more you read, the more you'll love it! On 27 March 1912 my father Vergiliu Dediu was born - he was a good electrical engineer, and a very good father and grandfather (his grandsons are Horatiu and Ovidiu....). We celebrate his 106th birthday, and I dedicate this book to his memory.