A Companion to Ancient Epic

Foley, John Miles (Editor)

Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

1. Edition July 2005
692 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-4051-0524-8

John Wiley & Sons

Wiley Online Library

Further versions

A Companion to Ancient Epic presents for the first time a
comprehensive, up-to-date overview of ancient Near Eastern, Greek
and Roman epic. It offers a multi-disciplinary discussion of both
longstanding ideas and newer perspectives.

* A Companion to the Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman epic
traditions

* Considers the interrelation between these different
traditions

* Provides a balanced overview of longstanding ideas and newer
perspectives in the study of epic

* Shows how scholarship over the last forty years has transformed
the ways that we conceive of and understand the genre

* Covers recently introduced topics, such as the role of women,
the history of reception, and comparison with living analogues from
oral tradition

* The editor and contributors are leading scholars in the
field

* Includes a detailed index of poems, poets, technical terms, and
important figures and events

List of Figures.

Notes on Contributors.

Acknowledgments.

Abbreviations of Ancient Authors and Works.

Abbreviations of Modern Reference Works.

Map.

Introduction: John Miles Foley.

Part I: Issues and Perspectives.

Part II: Near Eastern Epic.

Part III: Ancient Greek Epic.

Part IV: Roman Epic.

Bibliography.

Index

"For those who are interested in Greek and Roman epic, the book is
a treasure-house of splendid variety.... The editor and the
publisher both deserve praise for a very fine volume." (Journal
of the Royal Asiatic Society)

"Blackwell's Companion to Ancient Epic does just what the
title suggests: it accompanies readers on journeys of exploration
in this huge (in every sense) field. Just as importantly, the
Companion will show new readers why they might want to
immerse themselves in these poems.... The many highlights in this
Companion demonstrate the value of asking scholars to write
for non-specialists. That endeavor provides a stimulus for new
levels of focus and clarity; even ideas and materials that may be
familiar become fresh again when they are presented in such
succinct distillations." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review)

John Miles Foley is the Curators' and Byler Professor of Classical Studies and English at the University of Missouri. He is the founder and Director of the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition. He is the author of The Theory of Oral Composition (1988), The Singer of Tales in Performance (1995), Homer's Traditional Art (1999), and How to Read an Oral Poem (2002).

J. M. Foley, University of Missouri, Columbia