Older works and sacred works - Author-date style: citing specific types of sources - Source citation

A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, Ninth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2018

Older works and sacred works
Author-date style: citing specific types of sources
Source citation

19.8.1 Classical, Medieval, and Early English Literary Works

Literary works produced in classical Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, and Renaissance England are cited differently from modern literary works. These sources are often organized into numbered sections (books, lines, stanzas, and so forth) that are generally cited in place of page numbers. Because such works have been published in so many versions and translations over the centuries, the date and other facts of publication for modern editions are generally less important than in other types of citations.

For this reason, classical, medieval, and early English literary works should usually be cited only in parenthetical citations. If the author’s name and the title are not already mentioned in the surrounding text, include them along with the section number upon first reference. If subsequent citations clearly refer to the same work, list only the section number. See below regarding differences in punctuation, abbreviations, and numbers among different types of works.

The eighty days of inactivity for the Peloponnesian fleet at Rhodes (Thucydides, The History of the Peloponnesian War 8.44.4), terminating before the end of winter (8.60.2—3), suggests . . .

or

The eighty days of inactivity reported by Thucydides for the Peloponnesian fleet at Rhodes (The History of the Peloponnesian War 8.44.4), terminating before the end of winter (8.60.2—3), suggests . . .

If your paper is in literary studies or another field concerned with close analysis of texts, or if differences in translations are relevant, include such works in your reference list. Follow the rules for other translated and edited books in 19.1.1.1.

R:

✵ Propertius. 1990. Elegies. Edited and translated by G. P. Goold. Loeb Classical Library 18. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

✵ Aristotle. 1983. Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation. Edited by J. Barnes. 2 vols. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

19.8.1.1 CLASSICAL WORKS. In addition to the general principles listed above, the following rules apply to citations of classical works.

Use no punctuation between the title of a work and a line or section number. Numerical divisions are separated by periods without spaces. Use arabic numerals (and lowercase letters, if needed) for section numbers. Put commas between two or more citations of the same source and semicolons between citations of different sources.

P:

✵ (Aristophanes, Frogs 1019—30)

✵ (Cicero, In Verrem 2.1.21, 2.3.120; Tacitus, Germania 10.2—3)

✵ (Aristotle, Metaphysics 3.2.996b5—8; Plato, Republic 360e—361b)

You can abbreviate the names of authors, works, collections, and so forth. The most widely accepted abbreviations appear in the Oxford Classical Dictionary. Use these abbreviations rather than ibid. in succeeding references to the same work. In the first example, the author (Thucydides) stands in for the title so no comma is needed.

P:

✵ (Thuc. 2.40.2—3)

✵ (Pindar, Isthm. 7.43—45)

19.8.1.2 MEDIEVAL WORKS. The form for classical references works equally well for medieval works written in languages other than English.

P:

✵ (Augustine, De civitate Dei 20.2)

✵ (Abelard, Epistle 17 to Heloïse, in Migne, PL 180.375c—378a)

19.8.1.3 EARLY ENGLISH WORKS. In addition to the general principles listed above, the following rules apply to citations of early English literary works.

Cite poems and plays by book, canto, and stanza; stanza and line; act, scene, and line; or similar divisions. Separate the elements with commas for clarity.

P:

✵ (Chaucer, “Wife of Bath’s Prologue,” Canterbury Tales, lines 105—14)

✵ (Milton, Paradise Lost, book 1, lines 83—86)

You may shorten numbered divisions by omitting words such as act and line, using a system similar to the one for classical references (see 19.8.1.1). Be sure to explain your system in a footnote (“References are to book and line numbers”).

P:

✵ (Milton, Paradise Lost 1.83—86)

If editions differ in wording, line numbering, and even scene division—common in works of Shakespeare—include the work in your reference list, with edition specified.

R:

✵ Shakespeare, William. 2006. Hamlet. Edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor. Arden Shakespeare 3. London: Arden Shakespeare.

19.8.2 The Bible and Other Sacred Works

Cite the Bible and sacred works of other religious traditions in parenthetical citations. You do not need to include them in your reference list.

For citations from the Bible, include the abbreviated name of the book, the chapter number, and the verse number—never a page number. Depending on the context, you may use either traditional or shorter abbreviations for the names of books (see 24.6); consult your instructor if you are unsure which form is appropriate. Use arabic numerals for chapter and verse numbers (with a colon between them) and for numbered books.

Traditional abbreviations:

P:

✵ (1 Thess. 4:11, 5:2—5, 5:14)

Shorter abbreviations:

P:

✵ (2 Sm 11:1—17, 11:26—27; 1 Chr 10:13—14)

Since books and numbering differ among versions of the scriptures, identify the version you are using in brackets in your first citation with either the spelled-out name or an accepted abbreviation (see 24.6.4).

P:

✵ (2 Kings 11:8 [New Revised Standard Version])

✵ (1 Cor. 6:1—10 [NAB])

For citations from the sacred works of other religious traditions, adapt the general pattern for biblical citations as appropriate (see 24.6.5).