
Pindar
Richard Stoneman(Author)
I.B. Tauris (Publisher)
Published on 17. December 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-78076-185-5 (ISBN)
Description
The 6th/5th century BCE Greek melic (or songwriting) poet Pindar was one of the most celebrated lyricists of antiquity. His famous victory odes offer a paean to the heroic athlete, and collectively are an attempt to encapsulate, through choral songs of exaltation, the glory of the sportsman's moment of victory - whether in athletics or horse-racing - at a variety of Panhellenic festivals and Olympian games. Yet Pindar, though still respected, is now considered a difficult poet, and is sometimes dismissed as a reactionary, celebrating an aristocratic world that was passing and that deserved to pass. In this first work on the subject for many years, Richard Stoneman shows that Pindar's works, while at first seeming obscure and fragmentary, reward further study. An unmatched craftsman with words, and witness to a profoundly religious sensibility, he is a poet who takes modern readers to the heart of Greek ideas about the gods, fleeting human achievement and fallibility. The author examines questions of performance and genre; patronage; imagery; and reception, beginning with Horace.
Reviews / Votes
'In this wide-ranging and stimulating treatment, Richard Stoneman offers a richly detailed and imaginative survey of Pindar's poetry as well as a very welcome foray into his influence on the European lyric tradition from the Renaissance to Romanticism. The book provides a passionate and at the same time very accessible introduction to a difficult subject and will be of undoubted interest not only to undergraduate students but also, more generally, to readers attracted to one of the greatest poets of antiquity.' Giambattista D'Alessio, Professor of Greek Language and Literature, King's College LondonMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
7 bw integrated, 2 maps, 5 line
Dimensions
Height: 214 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
324 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78076-185-5 (9781780761855)
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
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Richard Stoneman is Honorary Visiting Professor in Classics at the University of Exeter, the author of many books, and editor of the Understanding Classics series.
Content
Illustrations
Preface
1. Pindar the Poet
2. Pindar's Career
3. The Range of Pindar's Poetry
4.Athletes and Heroes
5. The Practice of Praise
6.Telling Stories
7.Reception
Glossary
Abbreviations
Timeline of Pindar's Career
The Odes of Bacchylides
Festivals, Victors, Events and Myths
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface
1. Pindar the Poet
2. Pindar's Career
3. The Range of Pindar's Poetry
4.Athletes and Heroes
5. The Practice of Praise
6.Telling Stories
7.Reception
Glossary
Abbreviations
Timeline of Pindar's Career
The Odes of Bacchylides
Festivals, Victors, Events and Myths
Notes
Bibliography
Index