The Ancient Critic at Work
Terms and Concepts of Literary Criticism in Greek Scholia

This book shows the importance of the Greek scholia, the marginal and interlinear notes on manuscripts, for understanding ancient literary criticism.

René Nünlist (Author)

9780521850582, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 March 2009

458 pages
23.5 x 16.1 x 3 cm, 0.86 kg

"Using the notes (scholia) of ancient (and mostly anonymous) scholars on the works of a number of Greek authors, Nünlist (Brown Univ.) examines what might be termed 'ancient literary criticism in action.'...The result is fascinating and useful. Fascinating, because the author presents the material through the eyes of the ancient scholars, this allowing the reader to see how they read and what they thought most in need of defense, explanation, praise, and censure. Useful because Nünlist translates all the Greek he cites and equips the work with an extensive glossary of Greek literary-critical terms and exemplary indexes. The book will thus appeal to both scholars working on the topic and anyone interested in ancient literary criticism."
--Choice

The large but underrated corpus of Greek scholia, the marginal and interlinear notes found in manuscripts, is a very important source for ancient literary criticism. The evidence of the scholia significantly adds to and enhances the picture that can be gained from studying the relevant treatises (such as Aristotle's Poetics): scholia also contain concepts that are not found in the treatises, and they are indicative of how the concepts are actually put to use in the progressive interpretation of texts. This book also demonstrates that it is vital to study both ancient terminology and the cases where a particular phenomenon is simply paraphrased. Nineteen thematic chapters provide a repertoire of the various terms and concepts of ancient literary criticism. The relevant witnesses are extensively quoted in Greek and English translation. A glossary of Greek terms (with translation) and several indices enable the book also to be used for reference.

Introduction
Part I: 1. Plot
2. Time
3. Narrative and speech
4. Focalisation
5. Effects on the reader
6. Gaps and omissions
7. Poetic licence
8. Authentication
9. Style
10. Allusions, hints, hidden meanings
11. Characters
12. Mythography
Part II: 13. The gods in Homer
14. Homeric similes
15. Epithets
16. Type scenes
17. Homeric speeches
18. Reverse order
19. Staging, performance and dramaturgy
Epilogue
Glossary of Greek terms.

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], Literary theory [DSA]