This edited volume, curated by Katharine Mawford and Eleni Ntanou, offers a dynamic exploration of memory and forgetting across ancient Greek and Roman literature, spanning a broad chronological range and genres, from Homeric epics to Senecan tragedy. The volume, which originated from the 2018 Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature (AMPAL) conference at the University of Manchester, follows the recent blossoming of memory studies in Classics and synergizes well with other recent volumes (e.g. L. Castagnoli and P. Ceccarelli (eds), Greek Memories: Theories and Practices (Cambridge 2019)). At the same time, the collection distinguishes itself through its literary focus, intertextual analysis and attention to gendered perspectives. However, there is a clear preference towards Latin literature, which creates some imbalance in the treated material. The book is structured into five sections, covering a wide range of themes, from individual perspectives on memory to cultural amnesia, and the exploration of how memory shapes identity, power and narratives in antiquity.

The five parts of the volume are: ‘The Mechanics of Memory’, ‘Collective Memory’, ‘Female Memory’, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Further Thoughts’. This organization allows for an effective transition from theoretical and foundational cognitive aspects to the social, gendered and negative dimensions (i.e. forgetting), culminating in the reflective synthesis of Richard Hunter. The editors’ Introduction (1–16) establishes a robust theoretical framework, engaging with memory studies scholars from Halbwachs to Nora and Galinsky, and contextualizing memory as a dynamic, malleable process inherent to both cultural identity and literary production. Engagement with cognitive studies and modern memory theory enriches the core of the volume, transforming it into a valuable resource for Classicists and memory studies scholars alike.

Sophia Papaioannou’s chapter (19–39) stands out for its innovative exploration of spatial memory in Plautus’ and Terence’s comedies, arguing for the construction of ‘memoryscapes’ of Rome’s urban topography. She argues that the plays create fictional itineraries through Rome, serving as political and cultural commentaries by evoking early Republican spatial memory. Papaioannou convincingly argues for a cognitive approach to ancient ‘palaces of memory’ that trigger the audience’s civic identity – the discussion of Plautus’ Curculio with its references to the Forum and the Comitium is an excellent example of the palimpsest of spatial identities that reflects Augustan Rome’s evolving civic memory.

Another highly intriguing chapter is Andreas Michalopoulos’ discussion of Ovid’s Epistulae ex Ponto (89–102). Michalopoulos deftly connects Ovid’s exilic poetry to broader Roman discourses on memory and exile. He posits that Ovid’s recollection of an imagined Rome creates a mnemonic space that sustains the poet’s identity and resists oblivion, in effect annulling Augustus’ decree of exile. The argument that memory has significant political dimensions should be self-evident, but the paradigm offered by Michalopoulos reframes it convincingly.

Another critical aspect of the volume is the discussion of gendered memory; feminine memory is both a constraint and a creative force, according to the arguments. The topic is well analysed in Eleni Ntanou’s chapter on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Galatea’s speech (193–215). She defines Galatea’s speech as a metapoetic act of memory that engages with previous literature, specifically Theocritus and Virgil, demonstrating an awareness of her role (agency) within a literary tradition. In this way, the text subverts pastoral gender norms, elevating Galatea to an active narrator rather than a passive character. Such a focus on female agency is even more critical given the traditionally male-dominated genre.

The volume’s concluding contribution by Richard Hunter (293–308) excels in tying together the threads of ‘memory in literature’ from Homer to T.S. Eliot and K. Kavafis, highlighting the aesthetic resonance of memory in the written word as well as the timeless negotiation between remembering and forgetting (sometimes by choice), or memory and the ‘discontents’.

The volume’s greatest strength lies in facilitating a dialogue between early-career and established scholars, with its thematic approach and exploration of memory across genres, periods and theoretical lenses. Notwithstanding some possible areas for development, such as the occasional lack of theoretical depth or engagement with the historical context, this collection marks a vital addition to memory studies in Classics, blending rigorous close readings with imaginative interdisciplinary connections. The work is accessible, with minimal jargon, and its depth provides excellent scholarship to both general readers and scholars alike. Moreover, it invites further exploration of memory’s role in classical antiquity, much as in any other period, ancient or modern. For such a fluid topic as memory, the volume clearly demonstrates that ancient authors from Homer to Seneca understood memory as the dynamic force it is, both a bridge between the present and the past and a weapon of power, often the locus of cultural negotiation. The volume, then, succeeds in retaining one key piece of knowledge: literature (and thus most of what we know about classical antiquity) is forever haunted by what and how its author(s) choose to remember and what they choose to forget.