Classical Literature

Classical Literature

Author: Richard Jenkyns

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2016-03-01

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 0465097987

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The writings of the Greeks and Romans form the bedrock of Western culture. Inventing the molds for histories, tragedies, and philosophies, while pioneering radical new forms of epic and poetry, the Greeks and Romans created the literary world we still inhabit today. Writing with verve and insight, distinguished classicist Richard Jenkyns explores a thousand years of classical civilization, carrying readers from the depths of the Greek dark ages through the glittering heights of Rome's empire. Jenkyns begins with Homer and the birth of epic poetry before exploring the hypnotic poetry of Pindar, Sappho, and others from the Greek dark ages. Later, in Athens's classical age, Jenkyns shows the radical nature of Sophocles's choice to portray Ajax as a psychologically wounded warrior, how Aeschylus developed tragedy, and how Herodotus, in "inventing history," brought to narrative an epic and tragic quality. We meet the strikingly modern figure of Virgil, struggling to mirror epic art in an age of empire, and experience the love poems of Catullus, who imbued verse with obsessive passion as never before. Even St. Paul and other early Christian writers are artfully grounded here in their classical literary context. A dynamic and comprehensive introduction to Greek and Roman literature, Jenkyns's Classical Literature is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the classics -- and the extraordinary origins of Western culture. "There is scarcely anything on which he does not offer an original aperç sometimes illuminating, sometimes simply provocative, but always worth reading... Jenkyns's view of ancient literature is Olympian." -- G.W. Bowersock, The New York Review of Books


The Myth of Paganism

The Myth of Paganism

Author: Robert Shorrock

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2013-10-16

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1472519663

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Traditional and still prevalent accounts of late antique literature draw a clear distinction between 'pagan' and 'Christian' forms of poetry: whereas Christian poetry is taken seriously in terms its contribution to culture and society at large, so-called pagan or secular poetry is largely ignored, as though it has no meaningful part to play within the late antique world. The Myth of Paganism sets out to deconstruct this view of two contrasting poetic traditions and proposes in its place a new integrated model for the understanding of late antique poetry. As the book argues, the poet of Christ and the poet of the Muses were drawn together into an active, often provocative, dialogue about the relationship between Christianity and the Classical tradition and, ultimately, about the meaning of late antiquity itself. An analysis of the poetry of Nonnus of Panopolis, author of both a 'pagan' epic about Dionysus and a Christian translation of St John's Gospel, helps to illustrate this complex dialectic between pagan and Christian voices.


Classical Literature

Classical Literature

Author: William Allan

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2014-03

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0199665451

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William Allan's Very Short Introduction provides a concise and lively guide to the major authors, genres, and periods of classical literature. Drawing upon a wealth of material, he reveals just what makes the 'classics' such masterpieces and why they continue to influence and fascinate today.


Norton Book of Classical Literature

Norton Book of Classical Literature

Author: Bernard Knox

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 1992-12-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0393034267

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An anthology of classical literature features more than three hundred pieces, representing the foundation of Western literature, as well as commentary that discusses the origins of Greek language, Homer, the fall of Rome, and more.


Classical Literature

Classical Literature

Author: Richard Rutherford

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-04-15

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0470775262

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This accessible one-volume survey of the literature of Greece and Rome covers the period between Homer around 700 BC and Augustine around AD 410. Highlights what is important historically and of continuing interest and value in classical literature. An introduction by the editor presents essential information in a concise, accessible way. Each chapter focuses on a particular genre or area of literature. This structure allows readers to see continuities between different periods and to move easily between the Greek and Roman worlds. Includes extensive quotations in English. A timeline and an index of authors help to make the material as accessible as possible.


Agon in Classical Literature

Agon in Classical Literature

Author: Efstathiou EDWARDS

Publisher: University of London Press

Published: 2022-05-02

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9781905670994

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A collection of essays on the topical concept of agon in Greek literature. The papers collected in this volume are offered by colleagues and former students in honor of Chris Carey, emeritus professor of Greek at University College London. The multifaceted topic of the agon, or contest of word, and its varying representations in Greek literature aptly corresponds to the outstanding variety of Carey's research interests, which include the works of Homer, lyric poetry, drama, law, rhetoric, and historiography. This volume sets out to reflect on facets of the agon across these literary genres and the pivotal role of competition in ancient Greek thought. It aims to explore the wide range of agonal dynamics, and their generic and cultural value, as well as stimulating fresh discussions under a broad spectrum of theoretical and methodological approaches.


Classical Literature

Classical Literature

Author: Roy Hyde

Publisher: Aspects of Classical Civilization

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780415468138

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Classical Literature: An Introduction provides an overview of the essential aspects of Greek and Latin literature. In conjunction with contextualising introductions the material is presented chronologically, by genre and where appropriate by author. The book ranges from Homer to the Roman Empire and includes a chronology of ancient literature, maps, lists of Greek and Roman authors and suggestions for further reading. The collection will be essential for students and others who want a structured and informative introduction to the literature of the classical world.


The Pearl

The Pearl

Author: John Steinbeck

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 1994-10-01

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 1101659815

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“There it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon.” Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security.... A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl explores the secrets of man's nature, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love. From the Trade Paperback edition.


Pathologies of Love in Classical Literature

Pathologies of Love in Classical Literature

Author: Dimitrios Kanellakis

Publisher: ISSN

Published: 2023-05-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9783111276618

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Do you believe in love at first sight? The Greeks and the Romans certainly did. But far from enjoying this romantic moment carefree, they saw it as a cruel experience and an infection. Then what are the symptoms of falling in love? Are there any remedies? Any form of immunity? This book explores the conception of love (erôs) as a physical, emotional, and mental disease, a social-ethical disorder, and a literary unorthodoxy in Greek and Latin literature. Through illustrative case studies, the contributors to this volume examine two distinct, yet historically and poetically interrelated traditions of 'pathological love' lovesickness as/similar to disease and deviant sexuality described in nosologic terms. The chapters represent a wide range of genres (lyric poetry, philosophy, oratory, comedy, tragedy, elegy, satire, novel, and of course medical literature) and a fascinating synthesis of methodologies and approaches, including textual criticism, comparative philology, narratology, performance theory, and social history. The book closes with an anthology of Greek and Latin passages on pathological erôs. While primarily aimed at an academic readership, the book is accessible to anyone interested in Classics and/or the theme of love.


The Cambridge History of Classical Literature: Volume 1, Greek Literature, Part 3, Philosophy, History and Oratory

The Cambridge History of Classical Literature: Volume 1, Greek Literature, Part 3, Philosophy, History and Oratory

Author: P. E. Easterling

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1989-05-04

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9780521359832

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The Cambridge History of Classical Literature, Volume 1 offers a comprehensive survey of Greek literature from Homer to end of the period of stable Graeco-Roman civilation in the third century A.D. It embodies the advances made by recent classical scholarship and pays particular attention to texts that have become known in modern times. After its success in hardcover, this volume is now being issued in four paperback parts, providing individual texts on early Greek poetry, Greek drama, philosophy, history and oratory, and on the literature of the Hellenistic period and the Empire. A chapter on books and readers in the Greek world concludes Part 4. Each part has its own appendix of authors and works, a list of works cited, and an index.