Gorgias: Encomium of Helen

In this edition Malcolm MacDowell provides a useful introduction, the Greek text, his own English translation, and commentary on the Encomium of Helen.

The Encomium of Helen is thought to have been the demonstration piece of the Ancient Greek sophist, Presocratic philosopher and rhetorician, Gorgias. Students of Greek prose literature are regularly told that Gorgias is a figure of great importance in its development, but his work is not easily accessible unless they are prepared to tackle the formidable volumes of of Diels-Kranz. This fills that gap, as a short but complete work of Gorgias, which includes references to recent scholarly works. Its chief purpose is still to help readers approaching Gorgias for the first time. Including helpful notes and commentary, highlighting some of the most serious textual difficulties, it offers new suggestions about the text and its interpretation, and features a select bibliography, introduction, the text with facing translation.