Record Number: 21111

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Speaking of Homer, whom he venerated as the prince of poets, Johnson remarked that the advice given to Diomed by his father, when he sent him to the Trojan war, was the noblest exhortation that could be instanced in any heathen writer, and comprised in a single line: [Greek characters; 'Be ever best and o'ertop other men'; "Iliad" vi] which, if I recollect well, is translated by Dr. Clarke thus: [italics] semper appetere prestantissima, et omnibus aliis antecellere [end italics]'. [account by Dr Maxwell, an Irish London priest friend of Dr Johnson]

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1770

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Homer

Title:

Iliad

Genre:

Classics, Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21111

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

445-6

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 445-6, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21111, accessed: 21 December 2024

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791