
The Spell of Hypnos
Sleep and Sleeplessness in Ancient Greek Literature
Silvia Montiglio(Author)
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Published on 24. December 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-1-350-19743-5 (ISBN)
Description
Sleep was viewed as a boon by the ancient Greeks: sweet, soft, honeyed, balmy, care-loosening, as the Iliad has it. But neither was sleep straightforward, nor safe. It could be interrupted, often by a dream. It could be the site of dramatic intervention by a god or goddess. It might mark the transition in a narrative relationship, as when Penelope for the first time in weeks slumbers happily through Odysseus' vengeful slaughter of her suitors. Silvia Montiglio's imaginative and comprehensive study of the topic illuminates the various ways in which writers in antiquity used sleep to deal with major aspects of plot and character development. The author shows that sleeplessness, too, carries great weight in classical literature. Doom hangs by a thread as Agamemnon - in Iphigenia in Aulis - paces, restless and sleepless, while around him everyone else dozes on. Exploring recurring tropes of somnolence and wakefulness in the Iliad, the Odyssey, Athenian drama, the Argonautica and ancient novels by Xenophon, Chariton, Heliodorus and Achilles Tatius, this is a unique contribution to better understandings of ancient Greek writing.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
11 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-19743-5 (9781350197435)
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
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Additional editions

E-Book
11/2015
1st Edition
I.B. Tauris
€36.49
Available for download
Person
Silvia Montiglio is Basil L Gildersleeve Professor of Classics at Johns Hopkins University. Her previous books include Silence in the Land of Logos; Wandering in Ancient Greek Culture; From Villain to Hero: Odysseus in Ancient Thought; and Love and Providence: Recognition in the Ancient Novel.