Theocritus and the Archaeology of Greek Poetry [Hardcover]

This book focuses on the hymns, mimes and erotic poems of the Greek poet Theocritus.This book focuses on the hymns, mimes and erotic poems of the Greek poet Theocritus, and examines how Theocritus uses the traditions of earlier Greek poetry to recreate past forms in a way which exploits the new conditions under which poetry was written in the third century BC. Recent papyri have greatly increased our understanding of how Theocritus read archaic poetry, and these new discoveries are fully drawn on in a set of readings which will change the way we look at Hellenistic poetry.This book focuses on the hymns, mimes and erotic poems of the Greek poet Theocritus, and examines how Theocritus uses the traditions of earlier Greek poetry to recreate past forms in a way which exploits the new conditions under which poetry was written in the third century BC. Recent papyri have greatly increased our understanding of how Theocritus read archaic poetry, and these new discoveries are fully drawn on in a set of readings which will change the way we look at Hellenistic poetry.This book focuses on the hymns, mimes and erotic poems of the Greek poet Theocritus, and examines how Theocritus uses the traditions of earlier Greek poetry to recreate past forms in a way that exploits the new conditions under which poetry was written in the third century BC. Recent papyri have greatly increased our understanding of how Theocritus read archaic poetry, and these new discoveries are fully drawn on in a set of readings that will change the way we look at Hellenistic poetry.Preface; List of conventions and abbreviations; 1. Locating the site; 2. 'All the twos': Idyll 22; 3. Idyll 16: poet and patron; 4. Idyll 15: imitations of mortality; 5. Idyll 18 and the lyric past; 6. For the love of boys: Idylls 12, 29 and 30; Epilogue; Bibliography; General index; Index of passages discussed. The book is well written and excellently researched. N.J. Nicholson, Vhoice ...Hunter's book is rich in insights andl£<