This is the first volume of a two-volume historical and literary commentary on the 8 books of Thucydides, the great 5th-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Of the three books covered in this volume, Book 1 presents the author's aims in writing the work and the historical background to the war. Books 2 and 3 describe the main events of the first five years of the war (431-426) and include Pericles' funeral oration, the plague of Athens, the revolt of Mytilene, the destruction of Plataea, and civil war in Corcyra. Thucydides intended his work to be "an everlasting possession" and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower's commentary, by translating every passage or phrase of Greek commented on, for the first time allows readers with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides' thought and subject-matter. It is the first complete commentary written by a single author this century and explores both the historical and literary aspects of the work.

A Commentary on Thucydides

History

HORNBLOWER, Simon

Ancient Civilizations

Oxford University Press

This is the second volume of a three-volume historical and literary commentary of the eight books of Thucydides, the great fifth-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Books iv-v.24 cover the years 425-421 BC and contain the Pylos-Spakteria narrative, the Delion Campaign, and Brasidas' operations in the north of Greece. This volume ends with the Peace of Nikias and the alliance between Athens and Sparta. A new feature of this volume is the full thematic introduction which discusses such topics as Thucydides and Herodotus, Thucydide's presentation of Brasidas, Thucydides and kinship, speech--direct and indirect--in iv-v.24, Thucydides and epigraphy (including personal names), iv-v.24 as a work of art: innovative or merely incomplete? Thucydides intended his work to be "an everlasting Possession" and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower's commentary, by translating every passage of Greek commented on for the first time, allows readers with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides' thought and subject-matter. A full index at the end of the volume.

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Clarendon Press

This is the first volume of a three-volume historical and literary commentary on the eight books of Thucydides, the great fifth-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Of the three books covered in this volume, Book I presents Thucydides' aims in writing the work and the historical background to the war. Books II and III describe the main events of the first five years of the war (431-426) and include Pericles' funeral oration, the plague of Athens, the revolt of Mytilene, the destruction of Plataea, and civil war in Corcyra. Thucydides intended his work to be "an everlasting Possession" and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower's commentary, by translating every passage or phrase of Greek commented on, for the first time allows the reader with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides' thought and subject-matter. It is the first complete commentary written by a single author this century and explores both the historical and literary aspects of the work. A full index is provided at the end of the volume.

A Commentary on Thucydides: Volume I: Books I - III

What did the ancient Greeks eat and drink? What role did migration play? Why was emperor Nero popular with the ordinary people but less so with the upper classes? Why (according to ancient authors) was Oedipus ('with swollen foot') so called? For over 2,000 years the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome have captivated our collective imagination and provided inspiration for so many aspects of our lives, from culture, literature, drama, cinema, and television to society, education, and politics. Many of the roots of the way life is lived in the West today can be traced to the ancient civilizations, not only in politics, law, technology, philosophy, and science, but also in social and family life, language, and art. This authoritative A to Z guide features over 700 entries on all aspects of life in Ancient Greece and Rome. Beautiful illustrations, jargon-free entries, and a useful chronology and bibliography make this Companion the perfect guide for readers interested in learning more about the Graeco-Roman world. As well as providing sound information on all aspects of classical civilization such as history, politics, ethics, morals, law, society, religion, mythology, science and technology, language, literature, art, and scholarship, the entries in the Companion reflect the changing interdisciplinary aspects of classical studies, covering broad thematic subjects, such as race, nationalism, gender, ethics, and ecology, confirming the impact classical civilizations have had on the modern world.

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization (Oxford Companions)

Spawforth, Antony

Eidinow, Esther

This volume takes as its subject one of the most important Greek poems of the Hellenistic period: the Alexandra attributed to Lykophron, probably written in about 190 BC. At 1474 lines and with a riddling narrative and a preponderance of unusual vocabulary it is a notoriously challenging prospect for scholars, but it also sheds crucial light on Greek religion (in particular the role of women) and on foundation myths and myths of colonial identity. Most of the poem purports to be a prophecy by the Trojan princess, Kassandra, who foretells the conflicts between Europe and Asia from the Trojan Wars to the establishment of Roman ascendancy over the Greek world in the poet's own time. The central section narrates in the future tense the dispersal of returning Greek heroes throughout the Mediterranean zone, and their founding of new cities. This section culminates in the Italian wanderings and foundational activity of the Trojan refugee Aineias, Kassandra's own kinsman. Following Simon Hornblower's detailed full-length commentary on the Alexandra (OUP 2015; paperback 2017), this monograph asserts the poem's importance as not only a strongly political work, but also as a historical document of interest to cultural and religious historians and students of myths of identity. Divided into two Parts, the first explores Lykophron's geopolitical world, paying special attention to south Italy (perhaps the bilingual poet's own area of origin), Sicily, and Rhodes; it suggests that the recent hostile presence of Hannibal in south Italy surfaces as a frequent yet indirectly expressed concern of the poem. The thematic second Part investigates the Alexandra's relation to the Sibylline Oracles and to other apocalyptic literature of the period, and argues for its cultural and religious topicality. The Conclusion puts the case for the 190s BC as a turning-point in Roman history and contends that Lykophron demonstrates a veiled awareness of this, especially of certain peculiar features of Roman colonizing policy in that decade.

Lykophron's Alexandra, Rome, and the Hellenistic World

The Alexandra attributed to Lykophron is a minor poetic masterpiece. At 1474 lines, it is one of the most important and notoriously difficult Greek poems dating from the Hellenistic period (most likely the early second century BC). Most of the poem purports to be a prophecy by the mythical Trojan princess, Kassandra, the most beautiful of the daughters of King Priam, and her prophecy ranges from the Trojan War to the Roman defeat of Macedon in 197 BC, which took place in the poet's own time. The poem's importance arises from the light which it sheds on Greek religion (in particular the role of women), on foundation myths and myths of colonial identity, and on local - especially Italian - cults and cult places. The difficulty of the poem stems from its unusual vocabulary - many words of ancient Greek are found only in this poem - and the riddling and indirect way in which most of the many mythological characters are introduced. As well as providing the Greek text in full and its English translation, this volume provides the first ever full-length commentary in English on the poem.

LYKOPHRON: ALEXANDRA P: Alexandra: Greek Text, Translation, Commentary, and Introduction

Poetry

Traditionally ascribed to the early third-century BCE tragedian Lykophron, the Alexandra is a powerful Greek poem by an unknown author, probably written c. 190, when Rome had defeated Hannibal and the Carthaginians and was poised to humble the Seleukid king Antiochos III. The poem is an ingeniously constructed masterpiece, a generic mix with elements of tragedy, epic, and history.\nPriam's beautiful daughter, the prophetic Kassandra, foresees her rape in Athena's temple by the hateful Greek warrior Ajax after Troy's fall, and warns of disastrous returns (nostoi) for all the Greek 'heroes'. But Troy will rise again as Rome, founded by Trojan refugees. Alexandra (another name for Kassandra), narrates these Mediterranean foundation myths, adopting a bitterly disillusioned female perspective, but culminating in prophecies of Roman rule over land and sea.

Lykophron: Alexandra (Oxford World's Classics)

Lykophron

Classics

Thucydides and Pindar: Historical Narrative and the World of Epinikian Poetry

Simon Hornblower argues for a relationship between Thucydides and Pindar not so far acknowledged in modern scholarship. He argues that ancient critics were right to detect stylistic similarities between these two great exponents of the "severe style" in prose and verse. In Part One he explores the background of epinikian poetry and athletics, the values shared by the two authors, and religion and colonization myths, and presents a geographically organized survey of Pindar's Mediterranean world, exploiting onomastic evidence. Part Two includes an analysis of Thucydides' account of the Olympic games of 420 BC; discussions of the four components of Thucydides' history in their relation to Pindar; statements of method, excursuses, speeches, and narrative, especially the Sicilian books; and a stylistic-literary comparison of Thucydides and Pindar.

This is the second volume of a three-volume historical and literary commentary of the eight books of Thucydides, the great fifth-century BC historian of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Books iv-v.24 cover the years 425-421 BC and contain the Pylos-Spakteria narrative, the Delion Campaign, and Brasidas' operations in the north of Greece. This volume ends with the Peace of Nikias and the alliance between Athens and Sparta. A new feature of this volume is the full thematic introduction which discusses such topics as Thucydides and Herodotus, Thucydide's presentation of Brasidas, Thucydides and kinship, speech-direct and indirect-in iv-v.24, Thucydides and epigraphy (including personal names), iv-v.24 as a work of art: innovative or merely incomplete? Thucydides intended his work to be "an everlasting Possession" and the continuing importance of his work is undisputed. Simon Hornblower's commentary, by translating every passage of Greek commented on for the first time, allows readers with little or no Greek to appreciate the detail of Thucydides' thought and subject-matter. A full index at the end of the volume.

Essays & Correspondence

A Commentary on Thucydides: Volume III: Books 5.25-8.109

This is the third and final volume (Vol. I 1991, Vol. II 1996) of a historical and literary commentary on the history of the first 20 years of the twenty-seven-year 'Peloponnesian War' (between the Athenians and Spartans and their respective allies) written by the great fifth-century BC historian Thucydides. The present volume of commentary covers the ten closely-narrated years 421-411 BC, and nearly half of the total of eight 'books' (subdivisions) of Thucydides' work. It includes one of the most famous sections of ancient Greek literary writing, the lengthy and supremely dramatic account of the disastrous Athenian expedition against Sicily (415-413) in Books 6 and 7; but also the Melian Dialogue (Book 5), a notorious document of Athenian imperialism; and the account of the oligarchic revolution at Athens in 411 (Book 8). All Greek is translated. There is a thematic General Introduction and two Appendixes.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by HORNBLOWER, Simon. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by HORNBLOWER, Simon

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by HORNBLOWER, Simon. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Commentary on Thucydides

A Commentary on Thucydides

A Commentary on Thucydides: Volume I: Books I - III

The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization (Oxford Companions)

Lykophron's Alexandra, Rome, and the Hellenistic World

LYKOPHRON: ALEXANDRA P: Alexandra: Greek Text, Translation, Commentary, and Introduction

Lykophron: Alexandra (Oxford World's Classics)

Thucydides and Pindar: Historical Narrative and the World of Epinikian Poetry

A Commentary on Thucydides

A Commentary on Thucydides: Volume III: Books 5.25-8.109