Pindar and the Sublime
Greek Myth, Reception, and Lyric Experience
Published on 13. January 2022
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-1-78831-114-4 (ISBN)
Description
Pindar-the 'Theban eagle', as Thomas Gray famously called him-has often been taken as the archetype of the sublime poet: soaring into the heavens on wings of language and inspired by visions of eternity. In this much-anticipated new study, Robert Fowler asks in what ways the concept of the sublime can still guide a reading of the greatest of the Greek lyric poets. Working with ancient and modern treatments of the topic, especially the poetry and writings of Friedrich Hoelderlin (1770-1843), arguably Pindar's greatest modern reader, he develops the case for an aesthetic appreciation of Pindar's odes as literature.
Building on recent trends in criticism, he shifts the focus away from the first performance and the orality of Greek culture to reception and the experience of Pindar's odes as text. This change of emphasis yields a fresh discussion of many facets of Pindar's astonishing art, including the relation of the poems to their occasions, performativity, the poet's persona, his imagery, and his myths. Consideration of Pindar's views on divinity, transcendence, time, and the limits of language reveals him to be not only a great writer but a great thinker.
Building on recent trends in criticism, he shifts the focus away from the first performance and the orality of Greek culture to reception and the experience of Pindar's odes as text. This change of emphasis yields a fresh discussion of many facets of Pindar's astonishing art, including the relation of the poems to their occasions, performativity, the poet's persona, his imagery, and his myths. Consideration of Pindar's views on divinity, transcendence, time, and the limits of language reveals him to be not only a great writer but a great thinker.
Reviews / Votes
This heartfelt study should prompt further debate about the value of Greek lyric and how to read it ... The book's tone and pace clearly emerge from masterful teaching, making it an excellent introduction for students. * The Classical Review * Robert Fowler's Pindar and the Sublime: Greek Myth, Reception, and the Lyric Experience is a profound, erudite, and stimulating book. * Greece and Rome * A superb introduction to Pindar and his poetry. Fowler argues lucidly and passionately that Pindar's odes are examples of sublime literature which transcend their historical context and can still enthuse and inspire audiences today. -- Ian Rutherford, Professor of Classics, University of Reading, UKMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
25 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
581 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78831-114-4 (9781788311144)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert L. Fowler is Wills Professor of Greek Emeritus at the University of Bristol, UK. He is the author of The Nature of Early Greek Lyric: Three Preliminary Studies (1987) and Early Greek Mythography (2 volumes, 2000-2013). He has published widely on Greek poetry, mythology, historiography, reception and the history of Classical scholarship. He is a Fellow of the British Academy.
Content
Acknowledgements
Preface
Ch. 1: Sublime Receptions
Ch. 2: Shared Experience
Ch. 3: Exceeding Limits
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Passages
Index of Names and Subject
General Index
Preface
Ch. 1: Sublime Receptions
Ch. 2: Shared Experience
Ch. 3: Exceeding Limits
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Passages
Index of Names and Subject
General Index