Synopses & Reviews
Western literature knows the anacreontic poems best in the translations or adaptations of such poets as Ronsard, Herrick and Goethe. This collection of poems, once assumed to be the work of Anacreon himself, was considered unworthy of serious attention after the poems were proved to be late Hellenistic and early Roman imitations by anonymous writers. This book, the first full-length treatment of the anacreontic corpus, explores the complex poetics of imitation that inspired anacreontic composition for so many centuries in antiquity. It discusses the sophisticated and allusive nature of the texts, and the curious relationship between model and imitators. A full translation of the anacreontic collection is included as an appendix and all Greek and Latin is translated.
Review
"Rosenmeyer's comprehensive and illuminating discussion helps to show why and how these diverse poems had such a long-lasting appeal and were widely imitated in other European languages." Choice"...a fascinating account of the first edition of the Anareontea by Stephanus in 1554 and its reception....I have learned much from this book and I commend it highly." Douglas E. Gerber, Classical World"An excellent presentation of an interesting but neglected subject, this work should prove invaluable to students of the classics and Western European literature." Antonía Tripolitis, Religious Studies Review
Synopsis
Explores the complex poetics of imitation which inspired anacreontic composition for so many centuries in antiquity.
Synopsis
Western literature knows the so-called anacreontic poems best in the translations or adaptations of such poets as Ronsard, Herrick and Goethe. This collection of poems, once thought to be the work of the archaic Greek poet Anacreon, was considered unworthy of attention when revealed to be late Hellenistic and early Roman imitations by anonymous writers. This full-length treatment of the anacreontic corpus explores the complex poetics of imitation which inspired anacreontic composition for so many centuries in antiquity, discussing the sophisticated and allusive nature of the texts, and the curious relationship between model and imitators. A full translation is included as an appendix and all Greek and Latin is translated.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-276) and indexes.
Table of Contents
List of plates; Acknowledgements; Introduction: the anacreontic question; 1. Origins: the role of Anacreon as model; 2. Anacreontic imitators: the model revised; 3. Reading the texts: a sterile abundance of words; 4. The anacreontic anthology; 5. The allusive text; Conclusions: Byzantium and beyond; Appendices: A. Repetition in the anacreontics; B. Register of key anacreontic words; C. A translation of the anacreontic poems; Bibliography; Index of passages cited; Index.