The German classical philologist Friedrich August Wolf (1759 1824) developed a holistic approach which deeply influenced modern classical studies. In this 1795 treatise, he argues that the poems attributed to Homer were composed orally and that, prior to their transcription, they were altered by editors and performers in order to appeal to contemporary audiences, only coming together in their apparent artistic unity once they had been written down. Like many scholars of his day, seeking to reach an international audience, Wolf wrote in Latin here. And although he may have intended to address...
The German classical philologist Friedrich August Wolf (1759 1824) developed a holistic approach which deeply influenced modern classical studies. In ...
The subjects Wolf addressed have dominated Homeric scholarship for almost two centuries. Especially important were his analyses of the history of writing and of the nature of Alexandrian scholarship and his consideration of the composition of the Homeric poems--which set the terms for the analyst/unitarian controversy. His exploration of the history of the transmission of the text in antiquity opened a new field of research and transformed conceptions of the relations of ancient and modern culture.
Originally published in 1986.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the...
The subjects Wolf addressed have dominated Homeric scholarship for almost two centuries. Especially important were his analyses of the history of w...
