Theocritus: A Selection: Idylls 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 13 (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) [Paperback]

Theocritus (Author), Richard L. Hunter (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 052157420X | ISBN-13: 978-0521574204 | Publication Date: February 28, 1999

This volume contains the text of eight poems by the third-century BC Greek poet Theocritus, together with an introduction and extensive commentary. This is the first full-scale commentary on the work of Theocritus since Gow's edition of 1950, and is the first to exploit the recent revolution in the study of Hellenistic and Roman poetry. It offers new readings of all the poems, which show both how Theocritus differs from subsequent pastoral poetry, and how his poems, through their influence on Virgil, established the Western pastoral tradition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Recommended for all libraries in institutions where there is a strong Greek program." James W. Halporn, Religious Studies Review

"An important and welcome contribution to the scholarship on Theocritus as well as on Hellenisti literature in general." Classical World

Language Notes

Text: English, Greek --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052157420X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521574204
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,121,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, but of course essential for the Theocritean.., June 7, 2000

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This review is from: Theocritus: A Selection: Idylls 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 13 (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) (Paperback)

No serious scholar of Hellenistic poetry will ignore Hunter's solid commentary..but as usual the academic presses tell a mistruth in claiming this new volume is the "first full-scale" whatever on the author under consideration since whenever..Dover's 1971 London commentary is just as solid as this one, and the saddest thing about Hunter's book is how he covers much of the same ground as Dover idyll-wise..better, it would seem, to have covered a different selection and allowed students to have both reasonably priced volumes on Theocritus than to repeat coverage of the same poems (a valuable thing for the seasoned Hellenist but less valuable for the beginner-if any young Hellenists are reading Theocritus anyway). Of course both books can be safely ignored if one is lucky enough to find the monumental 1952 Gow commentary..sadly, and scandalously, allowed to remain out-of-print. Those two volumes contain every poem with full commentary and translation. Without Gow, the best one can do book-wise is amass the Oxford Text (also by Gow) to at least have all of the poems and get this commentary and Dover's. The Loeb by Edmonds is way out of date text- and translation-wise. These poems are far too difficult for the unseasoned Hellenist to read without commentary, so every little aid helps.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gow is good, but Hunter is funner, February 11, 2011

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J. Been "Classics_book_guy" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Theocritus: A Selection: Idylls 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 13 (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) (Paperback)

After using this commentary, one wishes that Hunter had felt compelled to include more Idylls in his edition, but he makes a lucid justification of his selection. This is a great edition for first-time Theocritus readers (like me!). The commentary is much fuller than Dover's and is more up-to-date. Definitely a must have for anyone interested in Hellenistic poetry or ancient pastoral.