Critical Moments in Classical Literature
Studies in the Ancient View of Literature and its Uses

A series of innovative critical readings exploring how the ancients discussed the meaning of literary works and their importance in society.

Richard Hunter (Author)

9781108460477, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 10 May 2018

225 pages
23 x 15 x 1 cm, 0.3 kg

'Critical Moments in Classical Literature is a curious book; deeply learned, elegantly written, and filled with subtle observations on a vast array or texts … The individual chapters are filled with insightful observations on countless ancient critical passages …' Hermathena

Through a series of innovative critical readings Richard Hunter builds a picture of how the ancients discussed the meaning of literary works and their importance in society. He pays particular attention to the interplay of criticism and creativity by not treating criticism in isolation from the works which the critics discussed. Attention is given both to the development of a history of criticism, as far as our sources allow, and to the constant recurrence of similar themes across the centuries. At the head of the book stands the contest of Aeschylus and Euripides in Aristophanes' Frogs which foreshadows more of the subsequent critical tradition than is often realised. Other chapters are devoted to ancient reflection on Greek and Roman comedy, to the Augustan critic Dionysius of Halicarnassus, to 'Longinus', On the Sublime, and to Plutarch. All Greek and Latin is translated.

Introduction
1. Aristophanes' Frogs and the critical tradition
2. Readings of Homer: Euripides' Cyclops
3. Comic moments
4. The ugly peasant and the naked virgins: Dionysius of Halicarnassus, On Imitation
5. The grand and the less grand: 'Longinus', On the Sublime
6. Reading for life: Plutarch, How the young man should study poetry.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB], Literature: history & criticism [DS]