Solon and Early Greek Poetry: The Politics of Exhortation

ISBN-13: 9780521851787 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 366 str.

Elizabeth Irwin

Opis

Examining the interaction between poetics and politics in ancient Greece's archaic period, in relationship to the work of Solon, this volume argues that, in general, the political expressions of martial exhortation elegy were aristocratic in nature and that the symposiasts attempted to assert a heroic identity on the wider polis community. The study demonstrates how Solon's poetry subverts this practice, using the poetic traditions of epic and Hesiod to further different political aims. It concludes by looking beyond the confines of Solon's poetic appropriations to argue for other influences on his poetry, in particular that of tyranny.

Recenzje

Review of the hardback: 'It is simply superb scholarship, impressively documented and combining to a rare degree both literary and historical/political aspects … To reveal all the many virtues of this splendid book would require a multi-page review. It must suffice to say that not only is Irwin's book important for understanding some of Solon's poetry and the political and social conditions in Athens during his lifetime, but also for much earlier poetry, especially Homer (with particular emphasis on the Odyssey), Hesiod and Tyrtaeus.' The Classical Review

Spis treści

Introduction; Part I. The Politics of Exhortation: Introduction; 1. Understanding the political in martial exhortation; 2. Synthesising content and context; 3. Contextualising the city: archaic verse inscriptions and the 'rise' of the polis; Part II. Political Poetics: Solon's Eunomia: Introduction; 4. Solon 4 and martial poetry; 5. Solon's Odyssey; 6. Solon 4 and Hesiod; Part III. Poetry and Political Culture: Introduction; 7. Solon and the language of the tyrant; 8. Rewriting (some) history: Solon and Peisistratus; Conclusion.