1425-6851 The Historian of Antiquity and the Art of Translation: Marginal Notes to a Translation of Plutarch’s Lives Wolicki Aleksander author Rybicki Jan translator Uniwersytet Warszawski 039bjqg32 Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie 03bqmcz70 Correspondence to: Aleksander Wolicki Correspondence to: Jan Rybicki jan.rybicki@uj.edu.pl 05 11 2013 Special Issue 2013 – Selection from the Archives Numery anglojęzyczne 28 46 Copyright © 2013 2013 The author takes a close look at translating ancient texts from the viewpoint of a historian. He explains why historians of Antiquity are usually against the very idea of translating Greek and Latin literature. He then proceeds to argue that historical knowledge is indispensable if a translation is to be rendered. This argument is supported by a detailed analysis of the standard Polish translation of two biographies by Plutarch, <em>Life of Aristides</em> and <em>Life of Cimon</em>. 1 Benveniste, E. 1969. Le vocabulaire des institutions indoeuropéennes. Vols 1–2. Paris: Editions de Minuit. 2 Denniston, J. 1954. The Greek Particles. Oxford: Oxford UP (1st edition, 1934). 3 Domański, J. 2006. “Wstęp” [Introduction]. Cyceron, św. Hieronim, Burgundiusz z Pizy, Leonardo Bruni, O poprawnym przekładaniu [Cicero, St. Jerome, Burgundius of Pisa, Leonardo Bruni, On Correct Translating]. In Latin and Polish. Kęty: Marek Derewiecki. 4 Kumaniecki, K. 1967. “Nad prozą antyczną” [On Ancient Prose]. In: Scripta minora, Wratislaviae–Varsoviae–Cracoviae, 578–587 (First published in: O sztuce tłumaczenia [On the Art of Translation]. Ed. M. Rusinek 1995. Wrocław: Ossolineum 1955. 99–109). 5 Parandowski, J. 1955. “O znaczeniu i godności tłumacza” [On the Significance and the Dignity of the Translator]. In: O sztuce tłumaczenia. Ed. M. Rusinek Wrocław: Ossolineum 1955. 11–20). 6 Savory, T.H. 1957. The Art of Translation. London: Jonathan Cape.