‘Key Themes in Ancient Philosophy provides concise books, written by major scholars and accessible to non-specialists, on important themes in ancient philosophy which remain of philosophical interest today’ (from the back cover). Happily, this is one of those cases where the description of the series (‘Key Themes’) says it all. After providing a brief outline, I will review the book according to the standards set by the publisher.

The brief introduction sets the scene by asking philosophically crucial questions such as ‘what is poetry?’ and why is it integral to (most) human societies. The first chapter, ‘Poetry: the Roots of a Problem’, sketches, for the benefit of the non-specialist, the parable of Muse-inspired poetry in archaic Greece and the first attempts (Xenophanes, Heraclitus, etc.) at criticising its far-reaching impact. The opposition between Muse-authorised (so the poets) and self-authorised production (as the critics of poetry expect from the poets) turns out to be a key interpretative tool, one that nicely accounts for the title Philosophical Poetics. The following chapters are devoted to Plato's Republic (‘A Radical Solution’), Aristotle's Poetics (‘The Natural History of Poetry’), later attempts to rescue poetry on the part of such diverse figures as Plutarch and his anti-Epicurean stance (‘Ways to Find Truth in Falsehood’), Maximus of Tyre, Plotinus and Longinus (‘The Marriage of Homer and Plato’).

The book is concise but rich in scope. By focusing on key questions and by selecting texts that offer far-reaching solutions, H. manages to cover a span of some seven centuries, which – incidentally – makes perfect sense: the later the authors, the greater is their tendency to look back at Plato and even Homer. Culture's (and especially philosophy's) time can be much shorter and more compact than history's, and the book makes that very clear. Throughout, H. has a tendency to ask blunt questions and to broaden the horizon little by little, thus combining clarity and comprehensiveness. So much for conciseness, then: H. surely meets the first standard.

H., certainly a ‘major scholar’, has made an effort to combine some of his favourite research strands – Chapter 3 is a distillation of his ongoing research on Aristotle's Poetics – with a number of topics that are not part of his interests as expressed in his published work – for example Plotinus. The problem of ‘major scholars’ devoting themselves to books designed to cater to the general public is that often they are not willing to take a challenge with subjects they are not fully familiar with, but this is not the case here.

H.'s discussion is both innovative and exceptionally clear. His idea that ignorance is the unifying theme in Plato's two discussions of poetry (Books 2–3 and Book 3) seems to work very well. It is supported by his helpful examination of the other books, which conveniently fills in the gaps and puts his discussion of poetry into perspective. Similarly, the chapter on the Poetics is built, very clearly, per differentiam: Aristotle's top category – says H. – is mimesis, as opposed to Plato's diegesis. Here, again, general ideas guide the interpretation: on discussing poetry, Aristotle thinks biologically, thus construing as a natural phenomenon something that, to the modern mind, is a quintessentially cultural product. Once again, however, H.'s choice to base his discussion on few – and very clear – guiding ideas does not detract from his ability to address questions of detail, and the same is true for the following chapters. H. is very precise in referring his reader to primary sources – every assertion is carefully supported by the relevant citations – and his references to secondary literature are sensibly selective. The following chapters, which combine more than one author or text, are also very clear and interesting, and touch on relatively less well-known figures, such as Maximus of Tyre. As a specialist in Plato, my status, in this case, approaches that of the ‘general reader’, and the experience of reading the book proved rewarding from both perspectives, which I take as a sign of H.'s success in reaching diversified audiences.

Is H.'s book about ‘important themes in ancient philosophy which remain of philosophical interest today’? On a descriptive level, this is undoubtedly the case for the Greek world, in which poetry, and especially performed poetry, plays an integral role. Even Plutarch's work, which H. refers to through the English title How to Read Poetry, is in fact about listening to poetry (πῶς δεῖ ἀκούειν). Yet things are different these days – and arguably were in Rome – when the consumption of poetry is by and large a bookish and solitary enterprise. My only real concern about H.'s general approach lies precisely here: the book focuses almost exclusively on the Greek world, so that the title as well as its lack of emphasis on orality may be slightly misleading. Also, it might have been interesting to include at least one Christian author, if only to highlight the specificity of the (non-Christian) Greek approach to poetry. Plotinus had a limited impact on society and has relatively little to say to us moderns: why not include Augustine instead? Augustine would have provided a Christian perspective, with a Roman background, and he was and remains relevant to many people.

The book is elegantly produced and is free from typos and inconsistencies. The only (very minor) blemish is an oscillation between Athena (e.g. p. 133) and Athene (e.g. p. 129) to render the Greek name of the goddess. Given the space constraints imposed by the format of the series H. has done wonders. This volume is a little jewel, and I heartily recommend it to everyone.