The Poetics. Longinus on the Sublime. Demetrius on Style. ( The Loeb Classical Library) .

by Donald A. Russell

This volume brings together the three most influential ancient Greek treatises on literature. Aristotle's Poetics contains his treatment of Greek tragedy: its history, nature, and conventions, with details on poetic diction. Stephen Halliwell makes this seminal work newly accessible with a reliable text and a translation that is both accurate and readable. His authoritative introduction traces the work's debt to earlier theorists (especially Plato), its distinctive argument, and the reasons behind its enduring relevance. The essay On the Sublime, usually attributed to "Longinus" (identity uncertain), was probably composed in the first century CE; its subject is the appreciation of greatness ("the sublime") in writing, with analysis of illustrative passages ranging from Homer and Sappho to Plato. In this edition, Donald A. Russell has revised and newly annotated the text and translation by W. Hamilton Fyfe, and supplied a new introduction. The treatise On Style, ascribed to an (again unidentifiable) "Demetrius," was perhaps composed during the secod century BCE. It is notable particularly for its theory and analysis of four distinct styles (grand, elegant, plain, and forceful). Doreen Innes's fresh rendering of the work is based on the earlier Loeb translation by W. Rhys Roberts. Her new introduction and notes represent the latest scholarship.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, Poetry, Nonfiction, Literature, Unfinished, Ancient

Hardcover

First published January 1, 281

Reviews

[Timons Esaias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's not like Aristotle really needs a review, but here goes: I've read small bits of the Poetics before, when chasing footnotes; ditto with On Style by Demetrius. I'd always meant to read them (and Longinus) cover-to-cover; had put the book on my bedside table, where it sat for years; and, of course, I now wish I'd read this years ago.
I teach writing, and one of the things that has greatly amused me is that we still teach much of Aristotle, with very little change. The man understood theater, and he understood rhetoric. He even understands the academic show-off not-to-be-seen-by-the-general-public stuff. Reading Poetics through, this is still the main effect, the realization that he covered all the main points (including the need to entertain and hold the audience) more than two thousand years ago.
Likewise with Longinus and Demetrius. I spend a lot of my time expanding on the points they make in these works. I rarely contradict anything here. So reading these this late in life is somewhat affirming: I derived most of what I teach not from classes, but from my own analysis of what works and what doesn't work -- plus the feedback of many critique partners along the way. Discovering my lessons embedded in the classics suggests that I may have gotten it right. (And, clearly, much of the critique I've experienced is Aristotle by 500th hand.)
The one limitation on these works, for a modern English-speaking writer, is when the remarks bear specifically on how sounds work in Ancient Greek. Sometimes there's an analogy in English, but often the suggestions simply don't apply.

[Sean Hadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetics [1.29.2025]
On the Sublime [2.11.2025]

[Yana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I disagree.

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

31: people attach the verbal idea of "poetry" [poiein: to make] to the name of the meter...
39: understanding gives great pleasure...why ppl enjoy looking at images...because through contemplating them it comes about that they understand and infer what each element means...mimesis comes naturally to us, as do melody and rhythm
45: Comedy...mimesis of baser but not wholly vicious characters
47: Tragedy...is mimesis of an action which is elevated, complete, and of magnitude; in language embellished by distinct forms of ...employing the mode of enactment, not narrative...and through pity and fear accomplishing the catharsis of such emotions (cf Kirkegaard)...arrangement of spectacle/51 (&55: structure of events, because tragedy is mimesis not of persons but of action and life...
53: Plot, then, is the first principle and, as it were, soul of tragedy, while character is secondary
55: beginning-middle-end
57: So just as with our bodies and with animals beauty requires magnitude, but magnitude that allows coherent perception, likewise plot requires length, but length that can be coherently remembered.
59: historians vs. poets (relating actual events vs. kind of thing that might occur; particular vs. universal
61: poetry aims for probability or necessity
63-65: Plots can be divided into the simple (continuous action, unitary, no (i)reversal/(ii)recognition) and complex (whose transformation contains recognition or reversal--a change to the opposite direction of events--and one in accord with probability or necessity)...The finest recognition is that which occurs simultaneously with reversal (Oedipus)
67: joint recognition and reversal -> pity or fear (where tragedy is mimetic)
67: (iii) suffering--a destructive or painful action, such as public deaths, physical agony, woundings, etc.
69: finest tragedy is complex and represents fearful and pitiable (not repugnant) events...not depraved changing from adversity to prosperity, because this is the least tragic of all, possessing none of the necessary qualities, since it is arouses neither fellow-feeling now pity nor fear. OBS
73: what is fearful and pitiable can result from spectacle, but also from the actual structure of events, which is the higher priority and the aim of a superior poet.
73: just "hearing" suffices. "Seeing" not necessary -> divorced from sight --JT: Cf. Adam Smith impartial spectator.
75: What tragedy must seek are cases where the sufferings occur within relationships, such as brother-brother, son-father, mother-son, son-mother--when the one kills (or is about to kill) the other, or commits come other such deed. JT: highest form of tragedy is inside the family structure (Cf. Plato-do away with nuclear family structure)
75-76: tragic action consists of: 1) agents acting in knowledge and cognizance; 2) in ignorance then subsequently recognize; 3) on the point of unwittingly committing something irremediable, but recognizes it before doing so.
79: Speech/action reveals the nature of a moral choice; "good" character reflects on the good moral choice.
79: 4 types: 1) good (good woman, good slave); 2) appropriateness (courage does not suit women characters); 3) likeness; 4) consistency (consistently inconsistent)
91: Every tragedy has both a complication and denouement: the complication comprises events outside the play, and often some of those within it; the remainder is the denouement.
105: Metaphor: the application of a word that belongs to another thing; either from genus to species, species to genus, species to species, or by analogy (cf. Winckelmann?)
107: neologisms, metaphors, loan words, etc.
135: Poetic needs make something plausible though impossible preferable to what is possible but implausible. OBS. JT: tantalizing.
139: tragedy excels by achieving the goal of its mimesis in a shorter scope; greater concentration is more pleasurable than dilution over a long period. JT: tragedy plays on the intensity of desire

[Derek Frasure · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read this for Longinus' On the Sublime, so my review reflects a compromise between the five star editing and texts with the three star philosophizing and literary criticism of Longinus. Writing from the third century, some of Longinus' observations like the emotional aspects of the sublime have had an enduring impact as they were reworked by Kant. His aesthetic schema is largely reliant on Aristotle, with only his unique observation that seemingly every rhetorical technique is productive of the sublime when used well and debasing to the sublime when done poorly. It's hardly insightful. There's a conceptual slippage (overlap?) between the sublime, the beautiful, and grandeur, all of which Longinus treats as synonyms at various points in the text. Grandeur provides an embryonic form of what Kant later develops as the mathematical sublime. Longinus' account of the positivity of the sublime is at odds with all commentators in modernity who emphasize the dual character of the sublime as delight and pain. I'm scarcely sure he's discussing the sublime and not merely beauty.

[Joe Fernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a really difficult read, not just because of the archaic composition style, but because each of the literary pieces refers so frequently to other works contemporary with that time that I feel like one needs to have an advanced understanding and deep frame of reference for all of the other works that was either current with or or preceded that time to fully appreciate and draw from the specific work in question. Not to mention each of the introductions to the essays was written in the most pretentious and supercilious manner possible. If you already like really REALLY like works of antiquity, then check it out. Otherwise, it will probably just be a frustrating and tedious read like it was for me.

[Joe Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMO anyone interested in analyzing how poetry works as an art must start with Aristotle's Poetics. For me the most fascinating aspect of this work (as well as of Aristotle's On Rhetoric) is the manner in which he grounds his advice regarding the writing of poetry in a sophisticated understanding of human psychology. In addition, FWIW I think that this is by far the best (in the sense of most accessible) of all of the translations of Aristotle included in the Loeb Classical Library series.

[jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one would imagine, there is much to be discovered about Aristotle as well as learn from his Poetics, but I relished the companion works of Longinus’ On the Sublime and Demetrius’ On Style. If you treasure the art and gift of great writing and what makes it great, the companion works are the sparkle in this jewell of a compilation of three treatises, each of which is worth the price of the one.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of three excellent texts on ancient literary theory and composition. Although these works are quite technical and likely require basic familiarity with Greek in order to grasp certain elements (thankfully this is presented on the opposite page), the texts give a good glimpse into what was perceived of as proper textual/oral composition among certain segments of ancient Greek society.

[Christopher Dunne]

Διόπερ τηι θεωρίαι και διανοίαι της ανθρωπίνης επιβολής ουδ' ο σύμπας κόσμος αρκεί.

For the whole universe is not enough to satisfy the thirst of humanity for investigation and understanding. (My translation)

Longinus is full of these grand statements that seek to explain why we bother with literature.

[Desiree Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: Required reading for Eng 298

[Kenji Nitta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought these books would help my rhetoric, but they’re more literary theory from a few ancient Greek perspectives. Good books; I didn’t like’em.

[Roxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The grammar parts were awkward. Also, there are some disjointed parts, but that could just be, I don't know, the fact that there is no original source for this but a bunch of manuscripts and translations. Pretty great, overall. Interesting, and, let's face it, the true base for the western literary canon.

PS. I definitely didn't appreciate the part about a clever woman not being appropriate :D, but hey, you gotta roll with the times, I guess.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've already commented on the other two, I'm sure, I'll just say that Demetrius' book on style is surprisingly modern. Sure few of us would draw the lines of language where he does, but the idea that that a style's strengths can be its weaknesses is quite lovely. Also lovely, but not modern at all is the incredible sense that language was, for Demetrius, oral always and foremost. Even when it's written, the words are appropriate or not because of the way that they /sound/. Increds.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically, I find myself daunted at the task of putting into words not only how great, but how important this book is. I'm speaking primarily of Aristotle's Poetics and Longinus's On the Sublime. So, I'm going to leave it there as I'm sure they would want it.

Written when humans roamed the Earth.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me in practical terms, this book has been most important for Aristotle’s concept of the tragic hero, so notably missing from the dialogues of Plato, and for Longinus’ relationship, in developing the concept of “the sublime,” to the much later work of Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant.

[Al Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I ate the whole thing.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bow to Aristotle, clap for Longinus, shake hands with Demetrius.