Stesichorus in Context

The first collection of essays, by leading scholars, on a major Greek poet whose works have only recently been recovered.

This book presents ten new essays on aspects of the Greek poet Stesichorus, whose works have only recently been rediscovered. It will appeal to everybody interested in Greek poetry and its influence, and in the recovery of long-lost texts.The sixth-century BC Greek poet Stesichorus was highly esteemed in antiquity; but by about AD 400 his works had been almost completely lost. Over recent decades, however, the recovery of substantial portions of his poetry has enabled a reassessment of his significance. These essays by leading scholars analyse different aspects of his oeuvre: the relationship between Stesichorus and epic, particularly his response to the Homeric poems; his narrative technique and his handling of erotic themes; and his influence and reception in fifth-century Athens, in Hellenistic scholarship and poetry, in the Renaissance, and in poetry today. The volume as a whole - the first dedicated to this author - amply demonstrates the extraordinary creativity and continuing vitality of the poet from Himera.