Signs of Orality
The Oral Tradition and its Influence in the Greek and Roman World
Published on 30. November 1998
Book
Leather / fine binding
X, 261 pages
978-90-04-11273-5 (ISBN)
Description
The essays in this volume present new insights into the far-reaching influence of an early oral culture on subsequent development after the spread of literacy. At the outset, revisionist essays on the Homeric epics examine such questions as historical memory, Homer's audience(s), descriptive strategies, ring-composition, and the status of orality as a constitutive feature of the epics.
These are followed by virtually unprecedented studies of the orality of later (written) literature, including Greek oratory, Virgilian epic, Pliny's Panegyricus and story-telling in late Greek writers. Included as well are two discussions of Athenian vase-painting: annular scene-composition in the black-figure tradition, and the implications of kalos-inscriptions. An introduction by leading oral theorist John Miles Foley situates all the essays at the leading edge of oral theoretical development.
These are followed by virtually unprecedented studies of the orality of later (written) literature, including Greek oratory, Virgilian epic, Pliny's Panegyricus and story-telling in late Greek writers. Included as well are two discussions of Athenian vase-painting: annular scene-composition in the black-figure tradition, and the implications of kalos-inscriptions. An introduction by leading oral theorist John Miles Foley situates all the essays at the leading edge of oral theoretical development.
Reviews / Votes
'Here is a fine book of up-to-date criticism...Attractively written and produced, andy classicist will profit from it.'Barry B. Powell, Scholia Reviews, 2000.
'If one hasn't followed recent developments in oral theory as applied to the classical era, this handy collection will bring you up to date on much of the wide variety of current activity. The volume is quite intriguing in its considerable breadth and diversity, a partial microcosm of much of our profession.'
Bruce Louden, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 1999.
'This book is an exceptionally important collection of papers originally delivered at a conference entitled "Epos and Logos"...This book's greatest contribution in its radical challenge to the static definitions of oral and literate as mutually exlcusive modes of creation. It is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the studies of "oral" poetry as well as of "written" texts.'
Naoko Yamagata, The Classical Review, 2001.
'The book will interest many different types of scholars, and every library should own a copy.'
Jonathan Burgess, Religious Studies Review, 2001.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth
With dust jacket
Illustrations
7 Fig., 16 Taf.
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 166 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
649 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-11273-5 (9789004112735)
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Anne Mackay, Ph.D. (1984) in Classics, Victoria University of Wellington, is Professor of Classics at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. Her publications include specialist studies of ancient Greek vase-painting as well as comparative analyses of vase-painting and oral literature.