Editor’s note: This is a series of reviews by Samuel Azzopardi (Malta) of a number of books of the set Latin texts published for candidates for examinations in England and Wales at AS and A Level (university entrance level at 18+).  AS (advanced subsidiary) is taken after the first year of the two-year cycle and the final A level (advanced) is taken after the second year.  There is a defined vocabulary list for AS level (available here: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/latin-h043-h443-from-2016/planning-and-teaching/#as-level ) but for the Advanced Level final examinations you are on your own with no dictionary.

Letters of Pliny: A Selection, annotated by Carl Hope (2023)

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-350-15659-3

The Letters of Pliny: A Selection is an annotated edition of a selection of 8 letters by Pliny the Younger to various friends and colleagues. This annotated collection is primarily geared to students preparing to sit for their A Level Latin (H443) examination issued by the OCR examination board in the UK between 2024 and 2026. The book opens with introductory notes on various topics of interest, including on the author, his life and relatives, his inspirations, and the main themes of in his letters, in particular those represented in this book.

The letters represented in this book are I.9, III.6, IV.2, IV.9, VIII.8, VIII.16, VIII.17 and IX.6. It should be noted that this book includes only those letters which are to be read in Latin, while those letters which the syllabus requires to be read in English are made available on the companion website. Even so, the introductory notes at the start of this publication provide ample guidance on engaging with all the syllabus letters.

Each of the letters is accompanied by extensive notes which break down the construction of these intricately woven letters almost line by line. Alongside these notes on grammar and use of Latin, the book also provides much cultural and historical information about persons and other elements which are referenced by Pliny in his letters. A general vocabulary is also included at the back, with those words included in the Defined Vocabulary List for AS Level conveniently marked out.

In addition to the English translation for those letters in the A Level syllabus which need not be studied in Latin and which have not been included in this publication, the companion website provides additional detailed notes on Pliny and other related topics from the ancient world as well as multiple choice quizzes for the letters represented in this publication. A bibliography list to support further independent study by students is included alongside the introductory notes.

Since the letters included within this publication are those required by the syllabus, they do not follow a particular theme and might therefore not be attractive to other students and readers who wish to study Pliny with a particular topic in mind. Even so, this publication can be of use to readers who wish to improve their confidence when dealing with new texts in Latin and those who plan to go on to read more material in Latin by Pliny and wish to ease themselves into familiarity with his style and content.

Ovid, Fasti: A Selection, annotated by Robert Cromarty (2023)

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-350-15655-5

Ovid, Fasti: A Selection is an annotated edition of sections from Ovid’s lengthy poem on the Roman calendar and its feasts. This publication is primarily geared towards students preparing to sit for their A Level Latin (H443) exam issued by the OCR examination board in the UK. I was very pleased to note that this book carries a content warning to inform students that the represented text includes references to (as indicated in the content warning itself): threats of violence, emotional distress of women, physical violence towards women, rape and attempted rape, suicide, and explicit sexual imagery.

The book opens with introductory notes on various topics of interest, including on Ovid and his life, the Fasti as a work of literature, metre and scansion, and the major feasts mentioned in the covered sections. Since the historical background to the sections covered in this book is that of the final years of the kingdom, a convenient illustration of the Tarquin family tree is also provided.

The sections reproduced in Latin in this book are lines 267 to 358 and 685 to 852. The preceding and intervening lines are summarised in English so that the flow of the reading is not interrupted. The presented sections are carefully annotated in detail providing assistance and information on both language and syntax as well as cultural and historical elements of interest. A lengthy vocabulary list with those words included in OCR’s Defined Vocabulary List for AS marked follows and concludes the publication (please note there is no defined Vocabulary List for students sitting their A Level Latin exam). In addition to the tools and information contained within the book, the linked companion website includes study guides and a quiz for study and practice.

Although principally aimed at students preparing for their A Level Latin (H443) exam, the publishers have also indicated that the book may be useful to students preparing for examination in Verse Literature (H443/04). In addition to these, I would consider that the book would be useful to all students of Latin with an intermediate command of knowledge who wish to improve their competence by interacting with verse works in the language.

Tacitus, Annals XII: A Selection, annotated by Simon Allcock (2023)

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-350-15638-8

Tacitus, Annals XII: A Selection is an annotated edition of sections from book XII of Tacitus’ Annals primarily geared to students preparing to sit for their AS Level Latin (H043) and A Level Latin (H443) exams issued by the OCR examination board in the UK. The book opens with introductory notes on various topics of interest, including on Tacitus, the composition and reception of the Annals, Tacitus’ style and sources, and some of the major characters mentioned in the course of the represented sections. Since the syllabus and the publication only cover particular sections from the entirety of Book XII, a bullet-point summary of the entire book divided into sections is also provided. The introduction also includes a brief biography to support further independent reading and study by students. The book also very conveniently includes a family tree of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to help students make sense of the complex web of relations connecting the major players of the period, as well as a map of the Roman empire at the time of Claudius.

The text reproduced in Latin within the book is sections 25-26, 41-43, 52-53, 56-59 and 64-69. In order not to interrupt the flow of the reading, very short summaries of the intervening sections not reproduced in the book are provided in English. The Latin text is accompanied by detailed notes on the Latin syntax and expressions employed as well as cultural and historical notes expanding upon the names, places and events referenced by Tacitus in his writing. A lengthy vocabulary list with those words included in OCR’s Defined Vocabulary List for AS conveniently marked completes this publication. In addition to the tools and information contained within the book, the linked companion website includes study guides and a quiz for study and practice.

Besides students of AS Level Latin (H043) and A Level Latin (H443) the publishers have noted that this book may also be useful for students of Literature (H043/02), Advanced GCSE in Latin (H443) and Prose Literature (H443/03) by the same examination board. The book is nonetheless also useful for those teachers and students of Latin at an intermediary level who wish to practice their reading and expand on their Latin competence, especially alongside an academic or personal interest in early imperial history.  Teachers and students of Advanced GCSE in Latin (H443) should note that this publication does not cover all the required reading from Tacitus, the remainder of which is covered by a separate publication reviewed below (Tacitus, Annals XIV: A Selection, annotated by John Storey).

Tacitus, Annals XIV: A Selection, annotated by John Storey (2023)

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-350-16235-8

Tacitus, Annals XIV: A Selection is an annotated edition of sections from book XIV of Tacitus’ Annals primarily geared towards students preparing to sit for their A Level Latin (H443) exam issued by the OCR examination board in the UK. Students planning on sitting for this particular exam should note that additional set sections from the Annals are covered in Tacitus, Annals XII: A Selection (2023) annotated by Simon Allcock (see above).

The book opens with introductory notes on various topics of interest, including on Tacitus, the composition and reception of the Annals, Tacitus’ style and sources, and some of the major characters mentioned in the course of the represented sections. Since the syllabus and the publication only cover particular sections from the entirety of Book XIV, a detailed summary of the entire book divided into sections is also provided in English. The introduction also includes a brief biography to support further independent reading and study by students. The book also very conveniently includes a family tree of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to help students make sense of the complex web of relations connecting the major players of the period.

Only chapters 1-13 of book XIV are reproduced in Latin within the book. The Latin text is accompanied by detailed notes on the Latin syntax and expressions employed as well as cultural and historical notes expanding upon the names, places and events referenced by Tacitus in his writing. A lengthy vocabulary list with those words included in OCR’s Defined Vocabulary List for AS marked follows and concludes the publication (please note there is no defined Vocabulary List for students sitting their A Level Latin exam). In addition to the tools and information contained within the book, the linked companion website includes study guides and a quiz for study and practice.

Besides students of A Level Latin (H443) the publishers have noted that this book may also be useful for students of Advanced GCE in Latin (H443) and Prose Literature (H443/03) by the same examination board. The book is nonetheless also useful for those teachers and students of Latin at an intermediary level who wish to practise their reading and expand on their Latin competence, especially alongside an academic or personal interest in early imperial history, especially those preparing for AS Level Latin (H043), whom the publishers had particularly in mind in compiling the vocabulary lists at the end of this publication.

Virgil, Aeneid II: A Selection, annotated by Dominic Jones (2023)

Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-350-15647-0

Virgil, Aeneid II: A Selection is an annotated edition of sections of book 2 of Virgil’s Aeneid primarily geared to students preparing to sit for their AS Level Latin (H043) and A Level Latin (H443) exams issued by the OCR examination board in the UK. The book opens with introductory notes on various topics of interest, including on the relationship between the Aeneid, its author and the political climate in which it was authored, book 2 within the context of the wider epic, major themes and images within the passages under review, and a general introduction to the study of poetry in terms of metre and the identification of literary devices.

This publication presents three major sections from book 2 of the Aeneid (lines 40-249, 268-317, 370-558). Brief notes accompany the represented excerpts to represent the plot development in the uncovered sections of the book. Although the excerpts run uninterrupted, the commentary notes which follow further divide the three excerpt groups into further subdivisions which are ideal guides for dividing the text into sections to be treated in different class sessions. As one would expect in a publication of this calibre, the commentary notes include both guidance for understanding the text and producing a translation, as well as more general notes on the characters and other elements mentioned. An extensive vocabulary list is also included, with words in OCR’s Defined Vocabulary List for AS conveniently indicated. Users of the book are provided with a link to the Bloomsbury website where they may find additional resources (study questions and multiple choice quizzes) while the introductory notes also direct students to a short but useful bibliography of second sources on major themes and elements of book 2.

It is difficult to envision a textbook more apt than Jones’ Virgil, Aeneid II: A Selection for students preparing for this section of their OCR-issued AS Level Latin (H043) and A Level Latin (H443). Additionally, the publishers have indicated that the books can be useful for students preparing for their Literature (H043/02), Advanced GSE in Latin (H443) and Verse Literature (H443/04). This publication is nonetheless a helpful guide and a useful tool for students with an intermediate to advanced knowledge of Latin grammar and syntax preparing for similar examinations or with a general interest in expanding their interaction with Virgil and the Aeneid. Teachers of students and classes at this level with an interest in the Aeneid are heartily advised to consider incorporating this textbook in their teaching.