The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a monographic series of books originally published by Heinemann and since 1934 by Harvard University Press. It has bilingual editions of ancient Greek and Latin literature, with the original Greek or Latin text on the left-hand page and a fairly literal translation on the facing page.

History Under the inspiration drawn from the book series specializing in publishing classical texts exclusively in the original languages, such as the Bibliotheca Teubneriana, established in 1849 or the Oxford Classical Texts book series, founded in 1894,Scriptorum classicorum bibliotheca Oxoniensis. 1894-. the Loeb Classical Library was conceived and initially funded by the Jewish-German-American banker and philanthropist James Loeb (1867–1933). The first volumes were edited by Thomas Ethelbert Page, W. H. D. Rouse, and Edward Capps, and published by William Heinemann, Ltd. (London) in 1912, already in their distinctive green (for Greek text) and red (for Latin) hardcover bindings. Since then scores of new titles have been added, and the earliest translations have been revised several times. In recent years, this has included the removal of bowdlerization from earlier editions, which often reversed the gender of the subjects of romantic interest to disguise homosexual references or (in the case of early editions of Longus's Daphnis and Chloe) translated sexually explicit passages from the Ancient Greek into Latin, rather than English.

Since 1934, the library has been co-published with Harvard University. Profit from the editions continues to fund graduate student fellowships at Harvard University.

The Loebs have only a minimal critical apparatus, when compared to other publications of the text. They are intended for the amateur reader of Greek or Latin, and are so nearly ubiquitous as to be instantly recognizable.

In 1917 Virginia Woolf wrote (in The Times Literary Supplement):

Harvard University assumed complete responsibility for the series in 1989 and in recent years four or five new or re-edited volumes have been published annually.

In 2001, Harvard University Press began issuing a second series of books with a similar format. The I Tatti Renaissance Library presents key Renaissance works in Latin with a facing English translation; it is bound similarly to the Loeb Classics, but in a larger format and with blue covers. A third series, the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, was introduced in 2010 covering works in Byzantine Greek, Medieval Latin, and Old English. Volumes have the same format as the I Tatti series, but with a brown cover. The Clay Sanskrit Library, bound in teal cloth, was also modeled on the Loeb Classical Library.

As the command of Latin among generalist historians and archaeologists shrank in the course of the 20th century, professionals came increasingly to rely on these texts designed for amateurs. As Birgitta Hoffmann remarked in 2001 of Tacitus' Agricola: "Unfortunately the first thing that happens in bilingual versions like the Loebs is that most of this apparatus vanishes and, if you use a translation, there is usually no way of knowing that there were problems with the text in the first place."Birgitta Hoffmann, "Archaeology versus Tacitus' "Agricola": a first-century worst-case scenario" given to the Theoretical Archaeology Group conference, (Dublin) 15 December 2001.

In 2014, the Loeb Classical Library Foundation and Harvard University Press launched the digital Loeb Classical Library, which they described as "an interconnected, fully searchable, perpetually growing, virtual library of all that is important in Greek and Latin literature".Loeb Classical Library 1.0, Francesca Annicchiarico, Harvard Magazine, September–October 2014About the Library Loeb Classical Library

Influence

The Loeb Library serves as a model to be emulated for:

The Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library (medieval Latin, Byzantine Greek, and Old English; bound in pale brown), published by Harvard University Press. The Library of Arabic Literature (Arabic, bound in dark blue), published by New York University Press The Clay Sanskrit Library (transliterated Sanskrit; bound in teal), published by New York University Press and the JJC Foundation The I Tatti Renaissance Library (Italian Renaissance Latin Literature; bound in pale blue), founded in 2001 and published by Harvard University Press;The I Tatti Renaissance Library The Murty Classical Library of India (various Indian languages and Persian; bound in cerise), founded in 2015 and published by Harvard University Press. The , established in 1997 and published by the Kyoto University Press.西洋古典叢書 第I期 西洋古典叢書

The Biblioteka Renesansowa ("Renaissance Library"), founded in 2008 and published by the Warsaw University Press.Biblioteka Renesansowa The Bibliotheca Graecorum et Romanorum Mexicana, founded in 1944 and published by the Institute for Philological Research of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.Bibliotheca Graecorum et Romanorum Mexicana The :ca:Col·lecció Fundació Bernat Metge (Greek and Latin Classics), founded in 1922 for publishing critical bilingual editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel Catalan translations.LA CASA DELS CLÀSSICSCol·lecció Bernat Metge (Greek and Latin Classics) The , founded in 1977 by the publishing house :es:Editorial Gredos in Barcelona, for publishing critical bilingual editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel Spanish translations. The Collection Budé, founded in 1920 by the publishing house Les Belles Lettres in Paris, for publishing critical bilingual editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel French translations. The , founded in 1923 by the publishing house :de:Ernst-Heimeran-Verlag, for publishing critical bilingual editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel German translations. The book series, founded in 1974 by the publishing house Arnoldo Mondadori Editore in Milan, for publishing critical bilingual editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel Italian translations.Scrittori greci e latini. In 1991 the publisher established a paperback series of bilingual editions of classics , published under the imprint of . The Soviet Library of Classical (Greek and Latin) Literature (19631989), published by the publishing house Khudozhestvennaya Literatura in Moscow, for bringing out critical editions of classical texts in Russian. The Library of Classical (Greek and Latin) Literature, founded in 2017 by the publishing house in Lviv, for bringing out critical editions of classical texts in Ukrainian. The Clássicos gregos & latinos book series,Colecção: Clássicos Gregos e Latinos founded in 1989 by the publishing house in Lisbon, for bringing out critical editions of classical texts in Portuguese. The Klassikeroversættelser book series,Klassikeroversættelser founded in 2000Trojaromanerne, p. 3 (see: Tidligere bind i serien Klassikeroversættelser). by the University Press of Southern Denmark in Odense, for bringing out critical editions of classical texts in Danish. The collection Klassieke bibliotheek, published between 1949 and 1954 by the publishing house :nl:Uitgeverij en Drukkerij De Spaarnestad in Haarlem, for making the best classical texts available in Dutch.12 delige serie Klassieke bibliotheek Grieks en Latijn. The book series Humanitas Yunan ve Latin Klasikleri,Humanitas. Yunan ve Latin Klasikleri Dizisi (Tanıtım Yazısı).Humanitas Yunan ve Latin Klasikleri. founded in the mid-2000sHumanitas Yunan ve Latin Klasikleri Serisi. by the publishing house Kabalcı in Istanbul for bringing out critical editions of classical Greek and Latin texts with parallel Turkish translations. In Romania, the three following book series have published Greek and Latin originals, alongside Romanian translations, namely, the Biblioteca textelor clasice greceşti şi latineşti (Bucharest: Casa Școalelor, 1919-1928),Casa Școalelor.Anale, 1928, Cornelii Taciti Annalium Libri XI - XVI: text latin publicat cu adnotații românești, seria Biblioteca Textelor Clasice Grecești și Latinești. the Scriitori greci şi latini book series (Bucharest: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, 1959-1989),Scriitori greci şi latini. and the Clasici latini și greci – Rubicon book series (Oradea: Ratio et Revelatio, 2021-).Clasici latini și greci - Rubicon.

Volumes The listings of Loeb volumes at online bookstores and library catalogues vary considerably and are often best navigated via ISBNs.

Greek

Poetry

Homer L170N) Iliad, Second Edition: Volume I. Books 1–12. . L171N) Iliad: Volume II. Books 13–24. . L104) Odyssey: Volume I. Books 1–12. . L105) Odyssey: Volume II. Books 13–24. .

Hesiod L057N) Volume I. Theogony. Works and Days. Testimonia. . L503) Volume II. The Shield. Catalogue of Women. Other Fragments. .

Nonnus L344) Dionysiaca: Volume I. Books 1–15 . L354) Dionysiaca: Volume II. Books 16–35 . L356) Dionysiaca: Volume III. Books 36–48 .

Other epic poetry L496) Homeric Hymns. Homeric Apocrypha. Lives of Homer. . L497) Greek Epic Fragments (including the Epic Cycle). . L001) Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica. . L019N) Quintus Smyrnaeus: Posthomerica. . L219) Oppian, Colluthus, and Tryphiodorus. . L562) Orphic Collection. .

Lyric, iambic and elegiac poetry L142) Greek Lyric Poetry: Volume I. Sappho and Alcaeus L143) Greek Lyric Poetry: Volume II. Anacreon, Anacreontea, Choral Lyric from Olympus to Alcman L476) Greek Lyric Poetry: Volume III. Stesichorus, Ibycus, Simonides, and Others L461) Greek Lyric Poetry: Volume IV. Bacchylides, Corinna, and Others L144) Greek Lyric Poetry: Volume V. The New School of Poetry and Anonymous Songs and Hymns L258N) Greek Elegiac Poetry: From the Seventh to the Fifth Centuries BC. Tyrtaeus, Solon, Theognis, and Others L259N) Greek Iambic Poetry: From the Seventh to the Fifth Centuries BC. Archilochus, Semonides, Hipponax, and Others L056) Pindar: Volume I. Olympian Odes. Pythian Odes. . L485) Pindar: Volume II. Nemean Odes. Isthmian Odes. Fragments. .

Other Hellenistic poetry L129) Callimachus: Hymns, Epigrams. Lycophron. Aratus. L421) Callimachus: Aetia, Iambi, Hecale and Other Fragments. Hero and Leander L550) Callimachus: Miscellaneous Epics and Elegies. Other Fragments. Testimonia L028) Greek Bucolic Poets: Theocritus. Bion. Moschus L508) Hellenistic Collection: Philitas. Alexander of Aetolia. Hermesianax. Euphorion. Parthenius

Greek Anthology L067) Volume I. Book 1: Christian Epigrams. Book 2: Christodorus of Thebes in Egypt. Book 3: The Cyzicene Epigrams. Book 4: The Proems of the Different Anthologies. Book 5: The Amatory Epigrams. Book 6: The Dedicatory Epigrams L068) Volume II. Book 7: Sepulchral Epigrams. Book 8: The Epigrams of St. Gregory the Theologian L084) Volume III. Book 9: The Declamatory Epigrams L085) Volume IV. Book 10: The Hortatory and Admonitory Epigrams. Book 11: The Convivial and Satirical Epigrams. Book 12: Strato's Musa Puerilis L086) Volume V. Book 13: Epigrams in Various Metres. Book 14: Arithmetical Problems, Riddles, Oracles. Book 15: Miscellanea. Book 16: Epigrams of the Planudean Anthology Not in the Palatine Manuscript

Drama

Aeschylus L145N) Volume I. Persians. Seven Against Thebes. Suppliant Maidens. Prometheus Bound. . L146N) Volume II. Oresteia: Agamemnon. Libation-Bearers. Eumenides. . L505) Volume III. Fragments. .

Sophocles L020) Volume I. Ajax. Electra. Oedipus Tyrannus L021) Volume II. Antigone. The Women of Trachis. Philoctetes. Oedipus at Colonus L483) Volume III. Fragments

Euripides L012) Volume I. Cyclops. Alcestis. Medea L484) Volume II. Children of Heracles. Hippolytus. Andromache. Hecuba L009) Volume III. Suppliant Women. Electra. Heracles L010N) Volume IV. Trojan Women. Iphigenia among the Taurians. Ion L011N) Volume V. Helen. Phoenician Women. Orestes L495) Volume VI. Bacchae. Iphigenia at Aulis. Rhesus