Quintus of Smyrna's 'Posthomerica'

Offers a literary and cultural-historical analysis of the Posthomerica Connects Quintus with a far wider range of ancient literature: historical, philosophical, dramatic, and rhetorical genres; and prosaic and poetic works Moves away from the localized study of particular aspects of the poem to a joined-up understanding of this era of epic, as a corpus engaging dialogically with issues of empire, literary inheritance and cultural change Intersects with the growing field of study of Late Antique literature, and the burgeoning interest in imperial Greek poetry and its accounts of the sack of Troy a story which continues to resonate in scholarly and public discourse This collection offers a new collaborative reading of Quintus Smyrnaeus' Posthomerica: one of the most important Greek epics written at the height of the Roman Empire. Building on the surge of interest in imperial Greek poetry seen in the past decades, this book applies new approaches - literary, theoretical and historical - to ask new questions about this mysterious, challenging poet and to re-evaluate his role in the cultural history of his time. Bringing together experienced imperial epic scholars and new voices in this growing field, the chapters reveal Quintus' crucial place within the inherited epic tradition and his role in shaping the literary and identity politics of Late Antique society.