Hellenistic Poetry - Hardcover

Hutchinson, G. O.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198140401 ISBN 13: 9780198140405

Publisher: Clarendon Press, 1988

Synopsis

The work of the Hellenistic poets in the third century BC has not only an important place in Greek literature, but also a particular significance for Latin poetry. Despite much technical work on the texts and language of these authors - Theocritus, Callimachus, Apollonius Rhodius, and others - previous literary criticism on most of the major figures is limited in quantity and scope. Dr Hutchinson provides a much needed picture of the poetry of this period, and shows its quality and vitality. He explores the work of the individual writers in turn, while developing a general conception of the poetry as a whole, centred around the poets' handling of tone, level, and form. Of particualr interest to many readers, the book culminates in the presentation of a fresh approach to the influence of Hellenistic poets in Rome. All quotations in Greek or Latin have been translated by the author, making this important new approach to the subject readily accessible to everyone seriously interested in classics - those with simply a basic knowledge of the background as well as students and scholars in the field.

About this title

Review:

`How seldom it is that a reviewer can truthfully utter the cliché, that a book meets a long felt need ... we have until now lacked an up-to-date book combining broad sweep and detailed scholarship ... this is a remarkable book, full of fresh thought and unparaded learning, from which we all have much to learn' Richard Jenkyns, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Times Higher Educational Supplement

'the work is admirably scholarly and will repay the serious attention of all those interested in the area' Bruce W. Mitchell, Classical Review

Synopsis:

A literary criticism of the work of some of the principal Hellenistic poets writing between c280 and c240 BC. The author presupposes a basic knowledge of the literary history of Greece and Rome and discusses the work of 7 writers in turn (Callimachus, Apollonius, Theocritus, Aratus, Herodas, Lycophron and Asclepiades). Dr Hutchinson concentrates on exploring the poets' handling of tone, level and form as well as developing a general conception of the poetry as a whole. Emphasis is on the literary quality and content rather than the technicalities of language and text. The work culminates in a discussion of the Hellenistic influence on Roman poetry and, in particular, on poets such as Catallus, Virgil and Ovid. The author has translated the Greek and Latin quotations. The footnotes cite sources of more detailed information, to help interprete the poetry.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0198140401
• ISBN 13: 9780198140405
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 392