Ad usum Delphini

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The Delphin Classics or Ad usum Delphini was a series of annotated editions of the Latin classics, intended to be comprehensive, which was originally created in the 17th century.

The first volumes were created in the 1670s for Louis, le Grand Dauphin, heir of Louis XIV (“Delphini” is the Latinization (genitive) of Dauphin), and were written entirely in Latin. Thirty-nine scholars contributed to the series, which was edited by Pierre Huet with assistance from several co-editors, including Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet and Anne Dacier.[1] The main features included the main Latin texts; a paraphrase in the margins or below in simpler Latin prose (an ordo verborum); extended notes on specific words and lines, mainly about history, myth, geography, or natural sciences; and indices. One useful pedagogical feature of this series is that it keeps students reading and working in the target language (Latin).[2]

The original volumes each had an engraving of Arion and a dolphin, accompanied by the inscription in usum serenissimi Delphini (for the use of the most serene Dauphin). The collection includes 64 volumes published from 1670 to 1698.[3][4][5]

Beginning in 1819, a different series of Latin classics was published in England under the name Valpy's Delphin Classics by Abraham John Valpy.[6] That series was edited by George Dyer, who divided up the works of the same authors into 143 volumes. This series mainly reprinted the commentary of the original Ad usum Delphini series, with updated texts and bibliographies from editions published in the intervening century. Both series were popular in Europe and the Americas. The first American edition was published in Philadelphia in 1804[7] while one European edition was published in Bassan as late as 1844.[8]

The expression Ad usum Delphini was sometimes used to refer to other texts which were expurgated because they contained passages considered inappropriate for the youth. The expression is still used more generally in a pejorative sense to indicate any work that was censored for the sake of younger audiences (not just within context series of Latin texts and commentaries).

Publishing history[edit]

(Taken from Volpilhac-Auger p. 214.[9])

Author Editor Date and place of publication, Number of volumes Link to online edition
Sallustus Daniel Crispin Paris, 1674 at Google Books
Phaedrus Pierre Danet Paris, 1675 at Google Books another
Florus Anne Lefèvre Paris, 1674 at Google Books
Terentius Nicolas le Camus Paris, 1675 at Google Books
Cornelius Nepos Nicolas Courtin Paris, 1675 at Google Books
Velleius Paterculus Robert Riguez, S. J. Paris, 1675 at Google Books
Panegyrici Veteres Jacques de la Beaune, S. J. Paris, 1676 at Google Books
Justinius Pierre Joseph Cantel, S. J. Paris, 1676 at Google Books
Claudianus Guillaume Pyrrhon (ou Pyron) Paris, 1677 at Google Books
Julius Caesar Jean Goduin, professeur à Paris Paris, 1678 at Google Books
Quintus Curtius Michel le Tellier, S. J. Paris, 1678 at Google Books
Manilius Michel La Faye (ou Dufay); Pierre Daniel Huet, Remarques sur Manilius, et Julius Caesar Scaliger, Notes Paris, 1679 at Google Books
Plautus Jacques de l'Ouvre Paris, 1679, 2 vol. at Google Books
Titus Livius Jean Douiat Paris, 1679,6 vol. at Google Books
Valerius Maximus Pierre Joseph Cantel, S. J. Paris, 1679 at Google Books
Boethius Pierre Cally, professeur à Caen Paris, 1680 at Google Books
Dictys Cretensis et Dares de Phrygie Anne Dacier, fille de Tanneguy Lefebvre Paris, 1680 at Google Books
Lucretius Michel La Faye (ou Dufav) Paris, 1680 at Google Books
Martialis Vincent Colesson, professeur de droit Paris, 1680 at Google Books
Aulus Gellius Jacques Proust, S. J. Paris, 1681 at Google Books
Aurelius Victor Anne Dacier, fille de Tanneguy Lefebvre Paris, 1681 at Google Books
Sextus Pompeius Festus et Verrius Flaccus André Dacier Paris, 1681 at Google Books
Cicero, Omnes qui ad artem oratoriam pertinent libri Jacques Proust, S. J. Paris, 1682,2 vol. at Google Books
Tacitus Julien Pichon Paris, 1682,4 vol. at Google Books
Vergilius Charles de la Rue, S. J. Paris, 1675 Paris, 1682 at Google Books
Eutropius Anne Dacier, fille de Tanneguy Lefebvre Paris, 1683 at Google Books
Cicero, Orationes Charles de Mérouville, S. J. Paris, 1684, 3 vol. at Google Books at Google Books
Juvenalis et Persius Louis Desprez Paris, 1684 at Google Books
Suetonius Augustin Babelon Paris, 1684 at Google Books
Catullus, Tibullus et Propertius Philippe Dubois Paris, 1685,2 vol. at Google Books
Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares Philibert Quartier Paris, 1685 at Google Books
Plinius, Naturalis Historia Jean Hardouin, S. J. Paris, 1685,5 vol. at Google Books
Statius Claude Berault Paris, 1685, 2 vol. at Google Books
Prudentius Etienne Chamillard, S. J. Paris, 1687 at Google Books
Apuleius Jules Fleury, chanoine de Chartres Paris, 1688, 2 vol. at Google Books
Cicero, Opera Philosophica François L'Honoré, S. J. Paris, 1689 at Google Books
Ovidius Naso Daniel Crispin Lyon, 1689,4 vol. at Google Books
Horatius Flaccus Louis Desprez Paris, 1691,2 vol. at Google Books
Plinius, Naturalis Historia Jean Hardouin, S. J. Paris, 1723, 3 vol. in fol. (nouv. édition) 1723 ed. at Google Books
Ausonius Jules Fleury ; Jean-Baptiste Souchay Paris, 1730 at Google Books

19th century London Valpy editions[edit]

Author Editor Date and place of publication, Number of volumes Link to online edition
Julius Caesar Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1819 2 volumes at Google Books
Vergilius Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1819 9 volumes at Google Books
Sallustus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1820 2 volumes at Google Books
Claudianus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1821 4 volumes at Google Books
Eutropius Breviarium historiae Romanae (Abridgment of Roman History). London, 1821 1 volume at Google Books
Ovidius Naso Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1821 10 volumes at Google Books
Tacitus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1821 10 volumes at Google Books
Catullus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Cornelius Nepos Vitae excellentium imperatorum. (Lives of the Excellent Commanders). London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Florus Epitome Rerum Romanarum (Epitome of Roman History. London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Justinius Historiae Philippicae (Philippic Histories). London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Juvenalis Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Velleius Paterculus Historia Romana (Roman History). London, 1822 1 volume at Google Books
Phaedrus Fabulae Aesopiae (Fables of Aesop). London, 1822 2v olumes at Google Books
Propertius Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1822 2 volumes at Google Books
Tibullus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1822 1 volume at Google Books
Ausonius Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1823 3 volumes at Google Books
Boethius De Consolatione Philosophiae (The Consolation of Philosophy). London, 1823 1 volume at Google Books
Lucretius De Rerum Natura Libri Sex. (Six Books on the Nature of Things). London, 1823 4 volumes at Google Books
Martialis Epigrammata (Epigrams). London, 1823 3 volumes at Google Books
Valerius Maximus Factorum Dictorumque Memorabilium Libri Novem (Nine Books on Memorable Deeds and Sayings). London, 1823 3 volumes at Google Books
Aulus Gellius Noctes Atticae (Attic Nights). London, 1824 4 volumes at Google Books
Prudentius. Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1824 3 volumes at Google Books
Statius Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1824 4 volumes at Google Books
Terentius Comoediae Sex (Six Comedies). London, 1824 4 volumes at Google Books
Apuleius Opera omnia (Complete Works). London, 1825 7 volumes at Google Books
Quintus Curtius De Rebus gestis Alexandri Magni libri superstites. (All the Books That Survive of the Histories of Alexander the Great of Macedon). London, 1825 4 volumes at Google Books
Dares de Phrygie and Dictys Cretensis De Bello Trojano (The Trojan War). London, 1825 1 volume at Google Books
Horatius Flaccus Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1825 5 volumes at Google Books
Sextus Pompeius Festus and Verrius Flaccus De Verborum Significatione (On the Meaning of Words). London, 1826 3 volumes at Google Books
Plinius Naturalis Historiae Libri XXXVII London, 1826 15 volumes at Google Books
Suetonius Opera Omnia (Complete Works). London, 1826 3 volumes at Google Books
Titus Livius Historiarum Libri Qui Supersunt. (History Books Which Have Survived). London, 1828 27 volumes at Google Books
Manilius Astronomicon (Astrology). London, 1828 2 volumes at Google Books
Panegyrici Veteres Panegyrici Veteres (Old Panegyrics). London, 1828 6 volumes at Google Books
Aurelius Victor Historia Romana (Roman History). London, 1829 2 volumes at Google Books
Plautus Comoediae (Comedies). London, 1829 5 volumes at Google Books
Cicero Opera (Works). London, 1830 15 volumes at Google Books

Reception and influence[edit]

The Ad usum Delphini collection was referred to by E.T.A. Hoffmann in Lebensansichten des Katers Murr (1819).[10]

„Sie sind, unterbrach ihn der Prinz, ein spaßhafter Mann.“ — Ganz und gar nicht, fuhr Kreisler fort, ich liebe zwar den Spaß, aber nur den schlechten, und der ist nun wieder nicht spaßhaft. Gegenwärtig wollt' ich gern nach Neapel gehen, und beim Molo einige gute Fischer- und Banditenlieder aufschreiben ad usum delphini. (English translation: "You are, the prince interrupted, a jolly man." - Not at all, Kreisler continued, I love fun, but only bad, and it's not fun again. At present I would like to go to Naples and write down some good fishermen's and bandit songs ad usum delphini at the Molo.)

The Ad usum Delphini collection was referred to by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in Devereux, Book IV (1829):[11]

let me turn to Milord Bolingbroke, and ask him whether England can produce a scholar equal to Peter Huet, who in twenty years wrote notes to sixty-two volumes of Classics, for the sake of a prince who never read a line in one of them?" "We have some scholars," answered Bolingbroke; "but we certainly have no Huet. It is strange enough, but learning seems to me like a circle: it grows weaker the more it spreads. We now see many people capable of reading commentaries, but very few indeed capable of writing them."

Honoré de Balzac III: Ève et David, later Les souffrances de l'inventeur, (1843):[12]

History is of two kinds--there is the official history taught in schools, a lying compilation ad usum delphini; and there is the secret history which deals with the real causes of events--a scandalous chronicle.

There is a reference to the Delphin Classics in Part I, Chapter 5 of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895),[13] where young Jude, trying to educate himself by reading while delivering bread from a horse and cart,

"plunge[s] into the simpler passages from Caesar, Virgil, or Horace [. . .] The only copies he had been able to lay hands on were old Delphin editions, because they were superseded, and therefore cheap. But, bad for idle school-boys, it did so happen that they were passably good for him."[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Delphin Classics" . The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.
  2. ^ "Favorite Commentaries: Terence Tunberg" in Dickinson Classical Commentaries Blog March 4, 2013 accessed on Jan. 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Volpilhac-Auger, Catherine. "La collection Ad usum Delphini : entre érudition et pédagogie." In: Histoire de l'éducation. n° 74, 1997. Les Humanités classiques, sous la direction de Marie-Madeleine Compère et André Chervel. pp. 203-214. Volpilhac-Auger says the volumes were published mainly between 1673 and 1691, but that the last appeared in 1730.
  4. ^ "Classici latini in edizione monolingue | Edizioni Accademia Vivarium Novum". vivariumnovum.it. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  5. ^ Volpilhac-Auger, Catherine, Martine Furno, and Université de Grenoble 3. 2005. La Collection Ad Usum Delphini. Des Princes. Grenoble: ELLUG.
  6. ^ Delphin Classics (A. J. Valpy) - Book Series List, publishinghistory.com. Retrieved on 1 April 2017.
  7. ^ Caesar, Julius (1804). "C. Julii Cæsaris quæ extant, interpretatione et notis".
  8. ^ "Q. Horatii Flacci opera interpretatione et notis illustravit Ludovicus Desprez ... In usum serenissimi delphini". 1844.
  9. ^ Volpilhac-Auger, Catherine. "La collection Ad usum Delphini : entre érudition et pédagogie." In: Histoire de l'éducation. n° 74, 1997. Les Humanités classiques, sous la direction de Marie-Madeleine Compère et André Chervel. pp. 203-214, p. 214. Also at Open Edition Books
  10. ^ Lebensansichten des Katers Murr Project Gutenberg Retrieved on 23 April 2020.
  11. ^ Edward Bulwer-LyttonDevereux Project Gutenberg Retrieved on 23 April 2020.
  12. ^ Honoré de Balzac Eve and David, translated by Ellen Marriage 1999 Project Gutenberg Retrieved on 23 April 2020.
  13. ^ Jude The Obscure at Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg Retrieved on 23 April 2020.
  14. ^ Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy, Part 1, Chapter 5 , adelaide.edu.au. Retrieved on 2 April 2017.

External links[edit]