Greek Poetry of the Imperial Period
An Anthology

An accessible selection of pagan Greek poetic texts ranging in date from the first to the sixth century AD.

Neil Hopkinson (Edited by)

9780521423137, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 September 1994

240 pages, 3 maps
18.5 x 12.5 x 1.6 cm, 0.26 kg

"This book fully meets the high standards we have come to expect from the editor. Hopkinson's anthology will prove a boon to everyone who tries to introduce students to the long neglected, yet highly interesting Greek literature of the imperial period. But even more advanced scholars who may not have read widely in these authors are sure to profit from this book. The author is to be congratulated on accomplishing a work of such high quality." Thomas A. Schmitz, International Journal of the Classical Tradition

This book contains a selection of pagan Greek poetic texts ranging in date from the first to the sixth century AD. It makes easily accessible for the first time work by poets such as Quintus Smyrnaeus, Nonnus, Musaeus and Babrius hitherto neglected in Classical syllabuses. Genres represented include epic, epyllion, didactic, epigram, lyric and the verse fable. There is a brief general introduction, and in addition each section of detailed commentary is prefaced by a discussion of literary aspects of the poems and of their wider contexts. The book is intended primarily for undergraduate and graduate students of Greek, but will be of interest also to Classical scholars.

Introduction: 1. Some historical developments
2. Education and culture
3. Christianity
4. Pagan poetry in the Imperial period
The Anthology: Anacreontea
Mesomedes
Epigrams, Quintus Smyrnaeus
Nonnus
Musaeus
Oppian
[Oppian], [Manetho], [Orpheus], Babrius
The Commentary
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]