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

by René Nünlist

• ISBN13: 9780521850582
• ISBN10: 0521850584
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-04-20
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

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. The 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.

Author Biography

Rene Nunlist is Associate Professor of Classics at Brown University, Rhode Island.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
The presentation of the material and its methodological implications	p. 2
The material and its characteristics	p. 7
Characteristics of scholia	p. 8
Topics other than literary criticism	p. 14
The sources of the scholia	p. 17
Translation	p. 19
Note on quotations and references	p. 19
	p. 21
Plot	p. 23
Motivation and narrative coherence	p. 27
Excursus: a special type of narrative coherence	p. 33
Prolepsis	p. 34
Excursus: the terms ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿<$$$>¿¿¿¿¿ and &rlalpha;¿¿¿<$$$>¿¿¿¿¿	p. 43
Analepsis	p. 45
Narratorial choice: save for later	p. 49
Introduction of characters	p. 51
Transitions and changes of scene	p. 57
Digressions	p. 64
Not to destroy the story	p. 66
Conclusion	p. 68
Time	p. 69
Day structure	p. 69
Story time vs. narrative time	p. 74
Simultaneous events	p. 79
Fill-in technique	p. 83
Anachronies	p. 87
Conclusion	p. 92
Narrative and speech	p. 94
The three principal forms of literary art: narrative, dramatic and mixed	p. 94
Transition from narrator-text to speech	p. 102
Other applications of the terms for 'narrative' and 'dramatic'	p. 107
Other classifications	p. 109
Excursus: the various applications of the term &rlalpha;¿¿¿¿¿¿¿<$$$> ('apostrophe')	p. 114
Conclusion	p. 115
Focalisation	p. 116
Excursus: ancient literary criticism and the narrative voice	p. 132
Conclusion	p. 133
Effects on the reader	p. 135
Attention	p. 137
Emotional effects	p. 139
Expectation	p. 149
Relaxation	p. 151
The reader as spectator	p. 153
Conclusion	p. 155
Gaps and omissions	p. 157
The cooperation of the reader	p. 164
Other applications of the expression ¿¿¿<$$$> ¿<$$$> ¿¿¿¿<$$$>¿¿¿¿¿	p. 167
Excursus: Seleucus and the meaning of ¿¿¿<$$$> ¿<$$$> ¿¿¿¿<$$$>¿¿¿¿¿	p. 169
Other narratorial omissions	p. 170
Conclusion	p. 173
Poetic licence	p. 174
Conclusion	p. 183
Authentication	p. 185
Conclusion	p. 192
Style	p. 194
Graphic quality (enargeia)	p. 194
Variation and avoidance of monotony	p. 198
Explanation (epexegesis)	p. 202
Elaboration (epexergasia)	p. 204
Brevity	p. 208
Indirect presentation	p. 209
Irony	p. 212
Iconic relation between form and content	p. 215
Stylistic differences between genres	p. 218
The three styles	p. 219
Minor stylistic phenomena	p. 221
Conclusion	p. 223
Allusions, hints, hidden meanings	p. 225
Allusions	p. 225
Hints	p. 231
Hidden meanings	p. 237
Conclusion	p. 237
Characters	p. 238
Cast	p. 238
Characterisation	p. 246
Excursus: the meaning of <$$$>¿ <$$$>¿¿¿ and <$$$>¿¿¿<$$$>¿	p. 254
Conclusion	p. 256
Mythography	p. 257
Mythological exempla	p. 261
Conclusion	p. 264
	p. 265
The gods in Homer	p. 267
Divine interventions	p. 267
Gods like you and me	p. 278
Excursus: Zenodorus on divine scenes in Homer	p. 279
Conclusion	p. 281
Homeric similes	p. 282
Interpretations of Homeric similes	p. 286
Conclusion	p. 298
Epithers	p. 299
Conclusion	p. 305
Type scenes	p. 307
Arming	p. 307
Battle scenes	p. 309
Deliberation scenes	p. 312
Messenger reports	p. 312
Typical numbers	p. 314
Conclusion	p. 315
Homeric speeches	p. 316
Speech introductions and their function	p. 316
No rapid dialogue in Homer	p. 318
Ring-composition in speeches	p. 319
Other structural analyses of speeches	p. 320
Three-way conversation	p. 321
Interior monologue	p. 322
Omission of speeches	p. 323
Speech within speech	p. 324
Conclusion	p. 325
Reverse order	p. 326
Conclusion	p. 336
Staging, performance and dramaturgy	p. 338
Identification of speakers and addresses	p. 338
Entrances and exits	p. 343
Delivery	p. 349
Acting	p. 351
Masks, constumes and props	p. 353
Décor	p. 355
Special technical devices	p. 356
Dramaturgical conventions	p. 358
Critique of contemporary productions	p. 361
Excursus: the meaning of ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿<$$$>	p. 362
Conclusion	p. 365
Epilogue	p. 366
Glossary of Greek terms	p. 368
Editions of scholia	p. 387
Other abbreviations	p. 390
Bibliography	p. 392
Thematic index	p. 407
Index locorum	p. 412
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