Thucydides and Pindar: Historical Narrative and the World of Epinikian Poetry

by Simon Hornblower

Overview

Simon Hornblower argues for a relationship between Thucydides and Pindar not so far acknowledged in modern scholarship. He argues that ancient critics were right to detect stylistic similarities between these two great exponents of the "severe style" in prose and verse. In Part One he explores the background of epinikian poetry and athletics, the values shared by the two authors, and religion and colonization myths, and presents a geographically organized survey of Pindar's Mediterranean world, exploiting onomastic evidence. Part Two includes an analysis of Thucydides' account of the Olympic games of 420 BC; discussions of the four components of Thucydides' history in their relation to Pindar; statements of method, excursuses, speeches, and narrative, especially the Sicilian books; and a stylistic-literary comparison of Thucydides and Pindar.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199249190
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/06/2005
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	8.82(w) x 6.08(h) x 1.19(d)

About the Author

Simon Hornblower is Professor of Classics and Ancient History at University College London.

Table of Contents

I1. Introduction2. Could Thucydides have known Pindar, and did he? 3. Content and outlook4. Myths, religion, women, colonization5. People, places, prosopography, and politicsII. Thucydides Pindaricus6. Introduction to Part II7. The clearest example of Thucydides Pindaricus: 5.49-50, the Olympic Games of 420 BC8. Statements of method; causation9. ‘Antiquarian' excursions10. Speeches11. Narrative12. Thucydides and Pindar: a stylistic comparisonConclusion