Stesichorus: The Poems

Description

Stesichorus' lyric poetry vividly recreates the most dramatic episodes of Greek myth: the labours of Heracles, the sack of Troy, the vengeance of Orestes, and more besides. It can be appreciated today as never before, thanks to the recent discovery of ancient manuscripts buried for some two millennia in the sands of Egypt. This fresh edition of Stesichorus' poems presents the first full-scale analysis of all his surviving works. The detailed introduction and commentary investigate a wide range of key issues, such as Stesichorus' imagery and style, his narrative technique, and his mythological innovations. The controversial question of how Stesichorus' poems were originally performed receives careful scrutiny; particular attention is paid to the fascinating story of the transmission, disappearance, and recovery of his work. A translation integrated with the commentary renders this book accessible to all readers with an interest in early Greek poetry and its legacy.

M. Davies is Associate Professor of Classical Languages and Literature, and Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. He has published a study of the Theban epics, editions of the fragments of Greek epic and lyric poetry, a commentary on Sophocles' Trachiniae, and (with J. Kathirithamby) a book on Greek insects, as well as many articles on Greek poetry, especially its interactions with folk-tale and other mythological traditions. P. J. Finglass is Professor of Greek and Head of the Department of Classics, University of Nottingham, and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He has published editions of Sophocles' Electra and Ajax, and Pindar's Pythian Eleven with Cambridge, as well as many articles on archaic and classical Greek literature. In 2012 he was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize by the Leverhulme Trust. His research for this book was funded by an Early Career Fellowship awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

'A work of truly formidable scholarship ... it is hard to see how it will ever be superseded ... Cambridge University Press must also be congratulated on a production of the very highest standard.' Colin Leach, Classics For All (classicsforallreviews.wordpress.com) 'The rich work of Davies and Finglass ... is very thoroughly researched, as it is to be expected from such distinguished editors ... The sections on mythological traditions are particularly rich, devoting plentiful space to literary and visual testimonies ... This is a very substantial and serious work, making for the first time available all the fragments with a critical edition and full scale commentary. Anyone interested in Greek literature and culture should be grateful to the editors for their endeavour.' G. B. D'Alessio, Bryn Mawr Classical Review '[In] this extensive and outstanding work ... Davies and Finglass engage in a meticulous effort aimed at disentangling the multiple complexities that surround Stesichorus, a lyric poet shrouded in the mist of time and myth ... Davies and Finglass offer an elegant and panoramic view of Stesichorus' poetry in time and space, justifying his fame and merit. This work is of a high calibre, and deserves warm commendation.' E. Tsitsibakou-Vasalos, Classical Review 'This work will be an indispensable tool for anyone reading Stesichorus at any level of proficiency.' D. T. Benediktson, Exemplaria Classica