Re: Herodotus translated by George Rawlinson

There are lots of Rawlinson Herodotus texts out there -- it's to Hdt. What Crawley is to Thuc. A model Victorian translation. George Rawlinson was the stay-at-home younger brother of the dashing Henry Rawlinson, who figured out Cuneiform as part of the British presence in the middle east (Behistun is on the route between Iraq and Persia, on the way to India), and Henry is credited on the title page with helping. So it's worth paying attention to, but not a better translation in itself than the Loeb's (by Godley, who seems to have been best known for humorous, classically informed, verse like this:
What is this that roareth thus?
Can it be a Motor Bus?
Yes, the smell and hideous hum
Indicat Motorem Bum!
Implet in the Corn and High
Terror me Motoris Bi:
Bo Motori clamitabo
Ne Motore caedar a Bo---
Dative be or Ablative
So thou only let us live:---
Whither shall thy victims flee?
Spare us, spare us, Motor Be!
Thus I sang; and still anigh
Came in hordes Motores Bi,
Et complebat omne forum
Copia Motorum Borum.
How shall wretches live like us
Cincti Bis Motoribus?
Domine, defende nos
Contra hos Motores Bos!
More useful actually to have one of the more recent translations that have notes informed by archeological finds.
Owen Cramer

-----Original Message-----
From: Classical Greek and Latin Discussion Group <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Kenneth Litwak
Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 2:08 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Herodotus translated by George Rawlinson

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Hi,
    I have a question about *History of Herodotus* by George Rawlinson.
Part of my role as reference librarian is to weed books. We have the LOEB edition of Herodotus in print and ebook formats. Apart from the fact that no one has ever checked out the Rawlinson translation, is there any good reason because it is a better translation or because the footnotes and annotations by the editor are really helpful, in order to keep this? It's at a regional campus with very limited shelf space. Any comments? I'll add that this is a seminary, we don't have a classics program, and the odds are low that anyone, faculty or Ph.D. student will check this out. However, if it has content that is really superior to the Loeb edition, we can keep it at our main library. Thanks.

Ken

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Kenneth D. Litwak, Ph.D.
Reference and Instruction Librarian
Gateway Seminary
3210 E Guasti Rd
Ontario, CA 91761
[email protected] <[email protected]>