A Companion to Hellenistic Literature (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World)

Product Description Offering unparalleled scope, A Companion to Hellenistic Literature in 30 newly commissioned essays explores the social and intellectual contexts of literature production in the Hellenistic period, and examines the relationship between Hellenistic and earlier literature. Provides a wide ranging critical examination of Hellenistic literature, including the works of well-respected poets alongside lesser-known historical, philosophical, and scientific prose of the periodExplores how the indigenous literatures of Hellenized lands influenced Greek literature and how Greek literature influenced Jewish, Near Eastern, Egyptian, and Roman literary works Review "New and interesting observations abound, and the volume as a whole offers a welcome introduction to an area of burgeoning scholarly interest. Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty." (Choice, 1 May 2011) "Particularly notable are the concluding four chapters, on cross-cultural influence and exchange with western Asia, the Jewish world, Egyptian literature, and the early Roman world. Throughout the volume, individual authors and works are described in detail, with excerpts occurring frequently in the Greek original followed by English translation. Written to be accessible to advanced language students and the non-specialist, with many references to current events and media for context, the scholarship of this work is very high, making the volume be a resource for scholars as well." (Book News Inc, November 2010) From the Inside Flap Offering unparalleled scope, A Companion to Hellenistic Literature in 30 newly commissioned essays explores the social and intellectual contexts of the production of literature in the Hellenistic period, and examines the relationship between Hellenistic and earlier literature. The volume covers the works of well-respected poets alongside lesser-known historical, philosophical, and scientific prose. Critical essays on the Jewish, Near Eastern, Egyptian, and Roman literature of the period explore the impact of the post-Alexandrian expansion of Hellenism on neighboring cultures and vice versa. In addition, serious attention is given throughout the book to Hellenistic texts which in surveys of Greek literature are rarely discussed within their historical context. Structured in a clear and accessible style by two highly respected scholars, this Companion expands the way in which Hellenistic literature is perceived and studied. It is the ideal resource for scholars and students of Classics, Ancient History and Literature. From the Back Cover Offering unparalleled scope, A Companion to Hellenistic Literature in 30 newly commissioned essays explores the social and intellectual contexts of the production of literature in the Hellenistic period, and examines the relationship between Hellenistic and earlier literature. The volume covers the works of well-respected poets alongside lesser-known historical, philosophical, and scientific prose. Critical essays on the Jewish, Near Eastern, Egyptian, and Roman literature of the period explore the impact of the post-Alexandrian expansion of Hellenism on neighboring cultures and vice versa. In addition, serious attention is given throughout the book to Hellenistic texts which in surveys of Greek literature are rarely discussed within their historical context. Structured in a clear and accessible style by two highly respected scholars, this Companion expands the way in which Hellenistic literature is perceived and studied. It is the ideal resource for scholars and students of Classics, Ancient History and Literature. About the Author James J. Clauss is Professor of Classics at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is the author of The Best of the Argonauts: The Redefinition of the Epic Hero in Book 1 of Apollonius' Argonautica (1993), the co-editor of Medea: Essays on Medea in Myth, Literature, Philosophy, and Art (1997), and the co-