Abstract

This article examines the main linguistic features in Benedetto Varchi’s translation of Seneca’s De beneficiis (Florence, Torrentino, 1554) in preparation for a critical edition of the text. It provides the essential information about the cultural context of the work, including its origins, sources, as well as the specific linguistic features of the target text, in particular the translator’s programmatic claims and strategies. The analysis uncovers new cultural and linguistic aspects that were hitherto unknown, such as the connection between Varchi and the viceroyal family of Pedro de Toledo in Naples, the relationship between source and target texts (with emphasis to the editions of Seneca’s Opera omnia edited by Erasmus), and the translation techniques that reveal Varchi’s sustained use of lexical (idioms in particular) and syntactic traits of spoken Florentine (fiorentino vivo).