The Greek Epic Cycle and its Ancient Reception: A Companion

by Marco Fantuzzi (Editor), Christos Tsagalis (Editor)

The poems of the Epic Cycle are assumed to be the reworking of myths and narratives which had their roots in an oral tradition predating that of many of the myths and narratives which took their present form in the Iliad and the Odyssey. The remains of these texts allow us to investigate diachronic aspects of epic diction as well as the extent of variation within it on the part of individual authors - two of the most important questions in modern research on archaic epic. They also help to illuminate the early history of Greek mythology. Access to the poems, however, has been thwarted by their current fragmentary state. This volume provides the scholarly community and graduate students with a thorough critical foundation for reading and interpreting them.

692 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2015

About the author

Marco Fantuzzi is currently Professor of Greek Literature at Columbia University, NY, and at the University of Macerata, Italy. Since the publication of his Bionis Smyrnaei Adonidis Epitaphium he has written and co-edited important works on Hellenistic and earlier Greek Literature. Two new books, Achilles in Love (OUP), and a major commentary on Euripides’ Rhesus (CUP), are nearing completion.

Reviews

[Anisha Inkspill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I was expecting this a super tough read, and it was. This is a big text book which once I would have never dared to read but that first attempt at Homer’s Iliad changed a lot of things of how I would come to see books and think of myself as a reader.

This is a collaboration of 32 essays by 32 scholars including: M L West (who was referred to quite a bit by the others), Gregory Nagy and David Konstan. They all focused on the subtitle ‘its Ancient Reception’.

I found part 1, which focused more on the Trojan Cycle, the easiest and almost kept up with it. Part 2 and 3 were tougher.

Part 2 went through each part of the Epic Cycle we know of, starting from with the beginnings, Theogony, moves on towards the Theban Cycle (incl the story of Oedipus, his sons and grandsons), then the Trojan Cycle and towards the final part, Telegony.

Part 3 looked at the tragedians, and other Cycles incl Pindar, Virgil and Ovid.

I didn’t grasp all of this but what I did I found really interesting, and it was fantastic to finally read something that explains the different versions. I’m thinking if I keep reading and come back to this down the line then I will be able to grasp more than I have this time.