Overview

Bacchylides (c. 520–450 BC) was one of the nine Greek lyric poets selected as models of this genre by the Alexandrian scholars who first collected and edited their songs in the 3rd century BC. Bacchylides' songs did not survive the end of antiquity, but substantial portions of at least three books have been recovered from papyri found in Egypt. This 2004 book was the first commentary in English since R. C. Jebb's Bacchylides (1905). It aims to introduce the reader to two important areas of Greek choral lyric poetry in which Bacchylides was pre-eminent: songs in praise of individuals (victory odes 3–6 and 11, and enkomia frr. 20A–D), and songs composed for religious festivals (dithyrambs, procession songs, and paeans). Among the most attractive features of his style are the well-balanced formal structure of his poems, and his vivid narrative which is capable of creating scenes of high drama and deep passion.

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9780511802386

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'The introduction and notes treat fully, clearly and illuminatingly, and with immense learning, all that can be known of the poems' context in Greek life and literature … this book will be an indispensable boon.' The Journal of Classics Teaching 'Less specialist readers will be grateful to M. and to the Editors of the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics Series for this new Bacchylides … presents a rich selection of Bacchylides' poems … an excellent introduction to Bacchylides poetry …' Journal of Hellenistic Studies

'The introduction and notes treat fully, clearly and illuminatingly, and with immense learning, all that can be known of the poems' context in Greek life and literature ... this book will be an indispensable boon.' The Journal of Classics Teaching 'Less specialist readers will be grateful to M. and to the Editors of the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics Series for this new Bacchylides ... presents a rich selection of Bacchylides' poems ... an excellent introduction to Bacchylides poetry ...' Journal of Hellenistic Studies

Author Information

Herwig Maehler is Emeritus Professor of Papyrology at the Department of Greek and Latin, University College London. His publications include Die Auffassung des Dichterberufs im frühen Griechentum bis zur Zeit Pindars (1963), Die Handschriften der S. Jacobi-Kirche Hamburg (1967), Urkunden römischer Zeit (1968), Papyri aus Hermupolis (1974), Die Lieder des Bakchylides (2 vols.) (1982, 1997); Greek Bookhands of the Early Byzantine Period (with G. Cavallo) 1987; editions of Bacchylides and Pindar.

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