Description
Book SynopsisIn
Poetics Aristotle treats Greek tragedy and epic. The subject of
On the Sublime, attributed to an (unidentifiable)
Longinus and probably composed in the first century AD is greatness in writing.
On Style, attributed to an (unidentifiable) Demetrius and perhaps composed in the second century BC, analyzes four literary styles.
Trade ReviewThis re-edition
cum revision of the three most seminal ancient Greek treatises in the aesthetics of literature is much to be welcomed. Together with a new translation of Aristotle’s
Poetics by Stephen Halliwell, it provides a spruced up version of W. H. Fyfe’s spirited rendering of
On the Sublime, and a comprehensive revision of W. Rhys Roberts’ 1927 edition and translation of
On Style. In all three cases new introductions and generous annotations bring the reader up to date with recent scholarship… The volume as a whole succeeds in meeting both the needs of non-classically trained readers and the requirements of scholars. For that reason it cannot be recommended too warmly. -- Suzanne Stern-Gillet * British Journal of Aesthetics *
This set of revisions was past due, and its arrival is most welcome. The result is a useful and physically very beautiful little volume that, I predict, will see very heavy use. -- John T. Kirby * Classical Outlook *
This volume completely supercedes its predecessor… The Loeb editors have chosen the world’s best scholars on these difficult authors for the revisions… Each ancient text is given a clear, informative introduction, outlining for general readers and specialists alike the basic problems and concerns of each essay, backed up with helpful bibliographical notes… In sum, this is an excellent, if overdue, revision of seminal criticism… Congratulations to the contributors and to the series editors for another splendidly produced volume which any scholar of classical literature should now possess. -- Richard Hawley * Classical Review *
Under the general editorship of George Gould, the careful revision of the Loeb series continues, with this volume 23 of Aristotle. The
Poetics is, of course, the jewel in this crown… It is a tall enough order, at the end of the twentieth century to attempt one translation of Aristotle's
Poetics, but Stephen Halliwell has now produced two… This new Loeb edition is, by design, noticeably closer to the Greek than Halliwell's earlier translation. The Greek text itself is a vast improvement over that of Hamilton Fyfe's Loeb, which was based on Vahlen's edition of 1885.
For this edition [of the treatise
On Style], Doreen Innes has quite extensively revised that version—with notably favorable results—and has provided a generous introduction, once again with a structural synopsis and bibliographic notes.
Possibly the next most important work of literary theory and criticism to survive the wreck of antiquity…is the brilliant treatise
Peri hupseos, attributed to someone called Longinus… In this second Loeb edition, the earlier Hamilton Fyfe translation has been overhauled by Donald Russell, surely the greatest living authority on Longinus.
