Poetics (Janko Edition)

Description

Richard Janko's acclaimed translation of Aristotle's Poetics is accompanied by the most comprehensive commentary available in English that does not presume knowledge of the original Greek. Two other unique features are Janko's translations with notes of both the Tractatus Coislinianus, which is argued to be a summary of the lost second book of the Poetics, and fragments of Aristotle's dialogue On Poets, including recently discovered texts about catharsis, which appear in English for the first time.

Of enormous use to anyone, philosopher or classicist, student or instructor, who wants to know more about Aristotle's work on literature . . . more than I would have believed possible, [Janko makes] the text of the Poetics transparent and accessible to nonclassicists. The translation is based on a meticulous study of the text. Deviations from the standard text by R. Kassell . . . are listed in transliterated Greek; and textual questions are discussed and explained lucidly. The brief introduction is full of useful information, on Aristotle, on the background of the Poetics, on its structure, and on major controversies. In addition to all this, the text is followed by a little treasury of sources that permit a sketchy reconstruction of the lost second book of the Poetics. --Ann N. Michelini, University of Cincinnati Thorough, admirable, indispensable to anyone seriously interested in Aristotle's literary theory, with or without access to the texts in Greek. --Thomas Clayton, University of Minnesota