The Latin сorrespondence between F. E. Korsch and G. E. Saenger

Abstract

This paper is a publication of the Latin correspondence between two prominent classical philologists of the late 19th — early 20th centuries, Fyodor E. Korsch and Grigory E. Saenger. Being only a part of their epistolary legacy, it is of undisputable interest both for the history of classical education in Russia and for the history of philological scholarship. The publication includes personal letters and letters discussing textual problems of various works of ancient literature. The Latin correspondence, which is not a voluminous part of the entire academic correspondence of these two authors, is mostly located in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), while separate letters have also been preserved in the Russian State Library (Moscow) and the National Library of Russia (Saint Petersburg). In the correspondence, the two scholars discuss general issues of philological studies and ancient culture, as well as some practical issues related to their professional activities. A prominent place is occupied by the letters in which they discuss possible conjectures to the poetic response of Emperor Hadrian to the poet Florus, as well as to Virgil’s Aeneid and the works of Horace. A significant feature of this correspondence is that some of the letters are in verse, and both Korsch and Saenger were certainly among the best masters of Latin versification of their time in the Russian Empire. For letters in Latin, paper of a smaller format was chosen (generally postcards). All materials are published for the first time. Brief footnotes are offered for each letter allowing a reader to have a more comprehensive understanding of both the specific features of the correspondence and the personalities and issues that are mentioned in them.

Keywords:

Fyodor E. Korsch, Grigory E. Saenger, correspondence, Latin language, letters, Neo-Latin poetry, conjectures