Epic Interactions: Perspectives on Homer, Virgil, and the Epic Tradition Presented to Jasper Griffin by Former Pupils
M. J. Clarke, B. G. F. Currie, and R. O. A. M. Lyne
Abstract
This collection of chapters, written by former pupils of his, celebrates the career of Jasper Griffin, one of the foremost modern scholars of classical epic. The book surveys the epic tradition from the 8th century BC to the 19th century AD. Individual chapters focus on: Homer and the oral epic tradition; Homer in his religious context; Herodotus and Homer; Hellenistic epic; Virgil in his literary context; Virgil in his political-cultural context; the Augustan poets and the Aeneid; Statius' Thebaid; Old English and Old Irish epic; Renaissance epic: Tasso and Milton; and the Victorians. The aim ... More
This collection of chapters, written by former pupils of his, celebrates the career of Jasper Griffin, one of the foremost modern scholars of classical epic. The book surveys the epic tradition from the 8th century BC to the 19th century AD. Individual chapters focus on: Homer and the oral epic tradition; Homer in his religious context; Herodotus and Homer; Hellenistic epic; Virgil in his literary context; Virgil in his political-cultural context; the Augustan poets and the Aeneid; Statius' Thebaid; Old English and Old Irish epic; Renaissance epic: Tasso and Milton; and the Victorians. The aim of the book is to situate writers of epic in their literary and cultural contexts — the essence of the term ‘interaction’ in the title. The chapters singly offer insights into some of the foundational poems of the European epic tradition and together take a bold, holistic look at that tradition.
Keywords:
Jasper Griffin,
classical epic,
European epic tradition,
Homer,
Virgil,
Augustan poets,
Tasso,
Milton,
Victorian poetry
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2006 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199276301 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2010 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199276301.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
M. J. Clarke, editor
Lecturer in Classics, The National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Author Webpage
B. G. F. Currie, editor
Fellow and Tutor in Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, Oriel College, and Lecturer, Oxford University
Author Webpage
R. O. A. M. Lyne, editor
[Formerly] Professor of Classical Languages and Literature, University of Oxford, and a Fellow and Tutor of Balliol College, Oxford
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