Martial artiste
Sir: I am not in the habit of replying to reviewers. I am usually prepared to accept and pass by small mistakes. On the other hand, when a piece contains major inaccur- acies designed to mislead possible future readers as to the scholarship of my work, that is a different matter. I refer of course to a sentence in Peter Levi's review of my Journeys to the Underworld.
Professor Levi chooses to write that I am `an ignorant girl who does not know Latin, let alone Greek'. The facts of the case are these: I studied Latin for five years and Greek for three. Since then I have done a good many translations of Martial's epi- grams. Some of these were included in a recent anthology by Professor J. P. Sulli- van — one of those rare beings, an academic who combines learning with a respect for the intelligence of women.
I will readily admit that I do not know half as much Latin and Greek as Peter Levi. However, I have learnt enough to appreciate both languages and to translate a little. My knowledge of them was certain- ly invaluable in the immense amount of research I did on the esoteric subject of the sibyls. Where I have quoted ancient au- thors I have done this in translation.
Anything else.would be bad manners to the general reader.
Ignorance, of course, is a matter of subjective opinion. Professor Levi might be thought ignorant by people less broad, mihded than myself. He did after all ascribe a piece of very indifferent verse to the greatest English poet. Shakespeare, like me, had 'small Latin and less Greek' and was immoral. (I am in good company.) Perhaps that is why moralistic Peter Levi had such a poor opinion of his intelligence too.
Fiona Pitt-Kethley
11 Edward Road, St Leonards, East Sussex
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