This volume is a highly stimulating meeting at the crossroads of Greek and Latin civilisations, presented through the intellectual lens of some of the most brilliant classical scholars. The volume is divided into two sections, the first on Greek literature and the second larger one (ten essays) on Latin literature; however, these two areas are intertwined in both sections. The essays have been arranged ‘chronologically’ according to the ancient sources that are being used and discussed. An extremely helpful brief summary of each chapter is provided in the introduction.
In Chapter 1 D. Konstan discusses the issue of ecphrasis, when a piece of visual art is described in ancient literature, from Homer to Lucian. Self-referentiality, or ecphrasis within the ecphrasis, is a key element. He sees ecphrasis as an ever-evolving, inherent literary method, a ‘sub-genre’. There is an interesting discussion of the contrasting representations, the visual and the narrative; the motionless image and the impression of motion that a narrative creates when describing the pictorial evidence in a sequence. Konstan argues that, when the pictorial representation freezes time, the narrative comes to unfreeze it and offers a resolution, an ending to an unfinished story.
In Chapter 2 E. Tsitsibakou-Vasalos focuses on the etymology of Helen's name, as it is shown by ancient and modern scholarship as well as ancient literature. Tsitsibakou-Vasalos starts from the ancient belief that name and thing are inextricably linked. The matter appears to be a lot more complex than one may think, mostly because of the various interpretations that can be observed, some of which are often contradictory, presenting both positive and negative connotations and meanings. Among these connotations we find the religious dimension of Helen's figure as well as the rather interesting ‘natural’ ones. The value of this essay rests in the collection of the different approaches and types of analysis of Helen's name.
The main topic of Chapter 3 is Menander's Hellenised, barbarian slaves and their importance for the Greek oikos as well as the polis. A.K. Petrides argues that they are simultaneously part of it and outsiders as they are at the bottom of the scala naturae. They are characters, he argues, created in a manner to resemble their Greek masters (hence Hellenised). Petrides's core statement that ‘the Other in Menander's New Comedy is not so much found outside the Self, as it is a condition, or a stage, of the Self’ (p. 83) is a very interesting point, which should be pursued further by modern scholarship.
In Chapter 4 M. Plastira-Valkanou offers a new reading of T. Geminus’ epigram on the river Strymon. Plastira-Valkanou explores the dialogue between the epigram and earlier poetry traced in it and offers a metapoetic reading. For example, the view that the Strymon represents the poetry of Macedonia and the Nile represents the poetry of Egypt is rather interesting (pp. 103–4). The favourable comparison between the Strymon and the Nile, dominating and strategically placed in the poem, is interpreted as a reference to and artistic debate with Callimachus. Plastira-Valkanou makes an interesting connection between the content of the poem and the historical as well as the ‘natural’ reality of the river's environment.
In Chapter 5 C. Ruiz-Montero provides an analysis of 21 speaking names in Diogenes’ Greek novel and the way in which these are recorded in inscriptions. She also investigates the ways in which these might have been Diogenes’ medium to engage with the literary tradition and especially comedy. One of the issues addressed is the categorisation of these names and the criteria employed for this purpose. The analysis proceeds through a twofold division of the personal names/characters: those belonging to the Arcadian Line and those of the Phoenician Line.
The Greek section ends with Chapter 6 and A. Karanika's analysis of the poetic authorial voice of Orpheus in the late-antique epic Orphic Argonautica and its position within the literary tradition. Orpheus’ roles and duties in the expedition are first identified, and then the epic is juxtaposed and compared with not only Apollonius’ Argonautica but also other Greek and Roman literary works, echoed in this version of the Argonautic expedition. This is one of the most interesting essays in the volume, which combines a not-so-well-known work with the crucial issue of the authorial voice.
In Chapter 7 G. Kazantzidis opens the Latin section with a comparison between the development of a disease which leads to death (or fear of death) and the progress of books in Lucretius’ De rerum natura towards their end. Kazantzidis interprets this as a closure device. In the first section of the essay on ‘what's in a disease’ (p. 141), he draws connections between Lucretius’ description of the psychosomatic symptoms with other authors (such as Hippocrates and Thucydides) describing very similar feelings, such us the heaviness in the chest as well as its elusive cause. This essay is one of the most intriguing and original in the volume.
In Chapter 8 R. Maltby brings Roman elegy and comedy (Greek and Roman New Comedy) together in an attempt to show the influence of the second on the first, especially regarding the topic of happy love. He supports his argument with an abundance of examples that show how Roman elegy is indebted to the genre of Comedy, which the elegists used as a treasure trove of valuable ideas and stylistic features.
The next five chapters are interconnected as they all research different aspects of Ovid's work. Starting from Syme's monograph, History in Ovid (1978), S.J. Harrison, in Chapter 9, reconsiders the chronology of Ovid's work. After presenting the agreed chronology he goes on to discuss issues regarding the dating of Ovid's works, their editions and revisions before and during his exile. His argument on the dating of Ovid's works is mostly based on the chronological and thematic relationship and connections between the works. The connection and parallel appreciation of this with Ovid's life and career complements the literary approach.
In Chapter 10 I. Ziogas examines Ovid's intertextual engagement with Catullus. He discusses the reasons behind the Catullan references and shows how Ovid's engagement with him sheds light on aspects of Catullus’ work. One of the key issues addressed is the relationship between Catullus’ personal and mythological poetry. Ziogas also discusses the existence of freedom of speech during the Republic and its loss during the Principate. Ovid tried to overcome this obstacle and poetic limitation through his subtle references to Catullus in his Tristia. Finally, the tension between social urbanitas and poetic rusticitas is analysed with reference to Neoteric Poetry.
The next two chapters are closely connected. They both deal with the Calydonian Boar Hunt but from different perspectives, which reduces their overlap. In Chapter 11 I. Gildenhard and A. Zissos explore the relationship of two Ovidian episodes, the Golden Fleece and the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and the presence of the Argonauts. They analyse the relationship and the echoes between the two episodes also from an ‘epic’ viewpoint. Another interesting issue addressed is the ‘Homeric’ and ‘anti-Homeric’ appearance of Jason in the two episodes.
In Chapter 12 S. Papaioannou examines the catalogue of hunters in the Calydonian Boar Hunt in an attempt to show the influences from other epic catalogues. Membership, identity and literary influences are the key elements of Papaioannou's analysis. A helpful overview of the list of hunters in literature and visual arts is given both from before as well as after Ovid's time. A meticulous comparison between these follows.
The Ovidian study cycle closes with Chapter 13, where M. Garani explores the intertextual references to Empedocles and Lucretius in Ovid's Fasti 5. Garani's argument is triggered by Polyhymnia's unique view that the name of the month is derived from the Goddess Maiestas. Garani starts her analysis with the meaning and significance of the Roman maiestas. The Myth of the Ages is central in the essay, and the whole argument and analysis revolve around its different versions. What we have here is a multi-stranded argument that touches upon many intertextual and political aspects of the Fasti, furnishing enough material for a whole book.
Leaving Ovid behind, in Chapter 14 A.N. Michalopoulos analyses the human versus the monstrous/wild in Seneca's Phaedra. This might not be the most original topic (as with other essays in the volume); however, Michalopoulos's approach and analysis is a useful addition to the relevant bibliography. The analysis is divided into two parts: the monsters and the wild humans (primarily Hippolytus). Very interesting is the thematic as well as linguistic observation of the pair of concealment–revelation (monstrum < monstrare), such as when Phaedra refers to the Minotaur, the hidden monstrum. The monstrous elements in the play, as Michalopoulos argues, always appear as disruptive to the natural order of things, which is clearly a Stoic idea.
In Chapter 15 C.N. Michalopoulos offers a thorough analysis of the catalogues in the Corpus Priapeorum, discussing the careful consideration and logic behind its structure. Michalopoulos follows a six-fold thematic division of the corpus. Most of the catalogues examined include the gods with whom Priapus compares himself. In the last part of the essay Michalopoulos examines the catalogues concerning Priapus’ garden containing fruits and vegetables, which have erotic connotations.
The last chapter treats the modern reception of the Aeneid. P. Hardie explores the fascinating game of translation and adaptation of the Aeneid and its implications from Chaucer (House of Fame) to Wordsworth (translation of the Aeneid). Translation is rightly treated as a form of reception, whose various ways of realisation, their purpose, effect and criticisms Hardie analyses. In his concluding remarks Hardie argues that despite the numerous efforts, Dryden still stands at the top as far as literary quality is concerned.
This well-organised volume presents a conglomeration of insightful ideas. Although some of the topics are unrelated, the editors have managed to place them in an order that creates a sense of continuity and unity as much as possible with such a broad spectrum of themes. A short review cannot do justice to any of the essays but I have tried to at least mention the novel insights of the contributors, providing enough information to reveal the academic as well as aesthetic value of each essay.
