Leaving Words to Remember: Greek Mourning and the Advent of Literacy (Mnemosyne, Bibliotheca Classica Batava Supplementum) (English and Ancient Greek Edition)

"This volume examines the influence of literacy on the development of different genres of mourning in ancient Greece." "The oral tradition of lament in the Homeric poems forms the point of departure for close readings of epigraphic material and written texts commemorating the dead in the archaic and classical periods, including grave epigrams, threnoi, tragedy, and Athenian epitaphioi. These texts reveal the non-linear development of Greek literacy and offer insight into the ongoing influence of lament in diverse poetic genres and the evolving uses of death and mourning in different media." "In particular, the discussion focuses on the role of writing in commemorating soldiers and the evolution of the written memorial into a historical and civic medium of communication."--Jacket This volume examines the influence of literacy on the development of mourning in ancient Greece. Considered against the oral tradition of Homeric lament, archaic and classical memorials are shown to evolve into an increasingly civic and historical medium of memory. This volume examines the influence of literacy on the development of different genres of mourning in ancient Greece. It reveals the non-linear development of Greek literacy and offers insight into the ongoing influence of lament in diverse poetic genres. By Katharine Derderian. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [195]-202) And Index.