These two volumes are the product of the yearly Activities of the young Delegation in the Valley of Sarno (Salerno) of the A.I.C.C. (Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica), the title of which, Primum Legere (henceforth PL), clearly recalls the aims pursued by the Direction Board of the Delegation itself: to comply with the desire for cultural and scientific growth of the younger generations by the public reading of ancient texts.
PL, then, wants to present, each year, the written report of lectures and public conferences (always held by famous representatives of Italian classical culture) offered by the Delegation from Sarno to the young and not only young public of the ‘Liceos’ (high school specializing in classical studies) of the area — also accompanied, when appropriate, by musical theatre and cinema performances. In addition, PL also includes a section open to the public of specialists in the field, devoted to “Essays and Research”, the “Vertendi Specimina” — Italian translations of ancient works never translated in Italian before, a more specific section on “Notes and Discussions”, and last, a section devoted to the archaeology and history of the area. The section devoted to reviews is also large and varied, and it particularly concerns the works related to the history of the territory of Sarno.
Since it is obviously impossible to give here a full account of the content of these first two volumes, I think it is important to report the Index, for the scholarly public.
PL 1 includes the following “Reports”:
1. F. De Martino, “A theatre all to herself: The Electra by Sophocles”, 3-32;
2. O. Vox, “Apropos of hero and poet in the Argonautics“, 33-53;
3. P. Fedeli, “Horace, from the love poetry to the meditation on the fleeting moment”, 55-71;
4. M. Citroni, “Seneca in Tacitus. Intellectuals and power in the first-century A.D.”, 73-84;
5. F. Donadi, “Pirandello and the Greece”, 85-101.
Then three “Studies and Researches” follow:
1. F. Coccaro Andreou, “The various lecture levels of the Periegesis of Dionysius of Alexandria”, 105-133;
2. E. Amato, “Favorinus and the sceptic criticism of the artificial divination (On Philostratus, Lives of sophists 1, 8, 4)”, 135-161;
3. E. Amato, ” Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. Horatian suggestions in the azumauta of the Man’yoshhu and in the Ruba’iyyat by ‘Omar Khayyam”, 163-189.
The section devoted to the translations of ancient works never translated into Italian before, includes the following contributions:
1. E. Amato, “Dio of Pruse, Orations LIV, LVIII, LXI, LXXII”, 193-206 (with an useful bibliographic appendix);
2. E. Tortora, “John Cinnamus, Historical Epitome (Book I)”, 207-223.
In the section concerning “Notes and Discussions” a long and detailed article by A. (“The Charidemos and the solid basis of Dio’s philology”, 227-256) answering to M. Menchelli ( BollClass 21, 2000, 59-94) is published.
In the “Excavation News” M. I. D’Autilia (“The two frescoed tombs and the necropolis of Foce”, 259-263) analyzes from an artistic and anthropological view, the two frescoed case tombs dating back to the 4th century b.C. of Oscan-Samnite origin, excavated in the Autumn 2002 in the archaeological site of the territory of Sarno.
A wide space is then devoted to reviews (267-321), followed by the “School Bulletin” (325-330), in which an account of the curricular and extracurricular activities of the Liceos of the area, is given.
In PL 2 the following “Reports” can be read:
1. A. Tessier, “Memory of Marcello Gigante byzantinist”, 3-7;
2. F. De Martino, “Out of the clear sky (Comics without bubbles)”, 11-76;
3. G. Chiarini, “The histrionic voices. Characters and themes in the world of Plautus”, 77-91;
4. M. I. D’Autilia, “The lycanthrope. A topos of the ‘marvellous story’ between Petronius and the folklore orality”, 93-111;
5. A. Stramaglia, “Cannibals at school: The Cadaveribus pasti by Pseudo-Quintilian”, 113-123;
6. F. Donadi, “The voyage of the Titanic (A sublime cruise)”, 125-145;
7. G. Caiazza, “The Edipo re by P. P. Pasolini between myth and autobiography”, 147-161.
Then three “Studies and Researches” follow:
1. E. Amato, “An original scruptural group with Apollo and Heracles from Pheneus?”, 165-169;
2. F. Salerno, “Optical illusions and obsessive nightmares in the De rerum natura“, 171-177;
3. F. Coccaro Andreou, “Machiavelli and the political passion”, 179-198. The following works by ancient writers have now been translated in Italian for the first time:
1. G. Caiazza, “Dio of Pruse, The non-conquest of Troy (Oration XI)”, 201-231;
2. E. Amato, “Favorinus of Arles, Corinthian oration“, 233-241;
3. E. Amato, “Favorinus of Arles, On the Tyche“, 243-251;
4. E. Amato, “Procopius of Gaza, Description of the clock“, 253-259.
In the section concerning “Notes and Discussions” we have:
1. E. Amato, “A new manuscript of the Declamationes of Hadrian of Tyre”, 263-267;
2. E. Amato, “Disiecta membra III (three lecture notes on Artemidor and Stephanos of Byzantium)”, 267-271.