The Classical Tradition: Greek And Roman Influences On Western Literature (oxford Paperback No. 141)

Originally published in 1949, Gilbert Highet's seminal "The Classical Tradition" is a herculean feat of comparative literature and a landmark publication in the history of classical reception. As Highet states in the opening lines of his Preface, this book outlines "the chief ways in which Greek and Latin influence has moulded the literatures of western Europe and America". With that simple statement, Highet takes his reader on a sweeping exploration of the history of western literature. To summarize what he covers is a near-impossible task. Discussions of Ovid and French literature of the Middle Ages and Chaucer's engagement with Virgil and Cicero lead, swiftly, into arguments of Christian versus "pagan" works in the Renaissance, Baroque imitations of Seneca, and the (re)birth of satire. Building momentum through Byron, Tennyson, and the rise of "art of art's sake", Highet, at last, arrives at his conclusion: the birth and establishment of modernism. Though his humanist style may appear out-of-date in today's postmodernist world, there is a value to ensuring this influential work reaches a new generation, and Highet's light touch and persuasive, engaging voice guarantee the book's usefulness for a contemporary audience. Indeed, the book is free of the jargon-filled style of literary criticism that plagues much of current scholarship. CONTENTS......Page 12 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 36 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 38 THE FALL OF THE GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION......Page 40 THE DARK AGES......Page 41 THE MIDDLE AGES......Page 48 THE RENAISSANCE......Page 51 Anglo-Saxon poetry......Page 59 Anglo-Saxon prose......Page 72 Romances of chivalrous adventure......Page 85 Ovid and romantic love......Page 94 The Romance of the Rose......Page 99 CHAPTER 4. DANTE AND PAGAN ANTIQUITY......Page 107 CHAPTER 5. TOWARDS THE RENAISSANCE: PETRARCH, BOCCACCIO, CHAUCER......Page 118 BOCCACCIO......Page 126 CHAUCER......Page 130 Translation......Page 141 epic......Page 151 history......Page 153 philosophy......Page 155 drama......Page 157 oratory......Page 159 smaller works......Page 160 CHAPTER 7. THE RENAISSANCE: DRAMA......Page 164 CHAPTER 8. THE RENAISSANCE: EPIC......Page 181 CHAPTER 9. THE RENAISSANCE: PASTORAL AND ROMANCE......Page 199 RABELAIS......Page 215 MONTAIGNE......Page 222 CHAPTER 11. SHAKESPEARE'S CLASSICS......Page 231 CHAPTER 12. THE RENAISSANCE AND AFTERWARDS: LYRIC POETRY......Page 256 Pindar......Page 267 Horace......Page 281 CHAPTER 13. TRANSITION......Page 292 CHAPTER 14. THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS......Page 298 CHAPTER 15. A NOTE ON BAROQUE......Page 326 CHAPTER 16. BAROQUE TRAGEDY......Page 330 CHAPTER 17. SATIRE......Page 340 Verse satire based on Roman satire......Page 345 STYLE......Page 359 FICTION......Page 372 HISTORY......Page 381 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 392 2. GERMANY......Page 404 3. FRANCE AND THE UNITED STATES......Page 427 The heir of the revolution: Victor Hugo......Page 442 4. ENGLAND......Page 445 5. ITALY......Page 460 6. CONCLUSION......Page 471 CHAPTER 20. PARNASSUS AND ANTICHRIST......Page 474 Parnassus: its ideals......Page 476 Antichrist: the chief arguments against Christianity......Page 490 CHAPTER 21. A CENTURY OF SCHOLARSHIP......Page 503 CHAPTER 22. THE SYMBOLIST POETS AND JAMES JOYCE......Page 538 CHAPTER 23. THE REINTERPRETATION OF THE MYTHS......Page 557 CHAPTER 24. CONCLUSION......Page 578 BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 587 CHAPTER 1: Introduction......Page 593 CHAPTER 2: The Dark Ages: English Literature......Page 599 CHAPTER 3: The Middle Ages: French Literature......Page 610 CHAPTER 4: Dante and Pagan Antiquity......Page 620 CHAPTER 5: Towards the Renaissance......Page 624 CHAPTER 6: The Renaissance: Translation......Page 630 CHAPTER 7: The Renaissance: Drama......Page 635 CHAPTER 8: The Renaissance: Epic......Page 638 CHAPTER 9: The Renaissance: Pastoral and Romance......Page 648 CHAPTER 10: Rabelais and Montaigne......Page 651 CHAPTER 11: Shakespeare's Classics......Page 654 CHAPTER 12: The Renaissance and Afterwards: Lyric Poetry......Page 664 CHAPTER 13: Transition......Page 675 CHAPTER 14: The Battle of the Books......Page 677 CHAPTER 15: A Note on Baroque......Page 683 CHAPTER 16: Baroque Tragedy......Page 685 CHAPTER 17: Satire......Page 686 CHAPTER 18: Baroque Prose......Page 691 CHAPTER 19: The Time of Revolution......Page 698 CHAPTER 20: Parnassus and Antichrist......Page 720 CHAPTER 21: A Century of Scholarship......Page 727 CHAPTER 22: The Symbolist Poets and James Joyce......Page 732 CHAPTER 23: The Reinterpretation of the Myths......Page 738 CHAPTER 24: Conclusion......Page 742 A......Page 744 B......Page 748 C......Page 752 D......Page 757 E......Page 761 F......Page 763 G......Page 764 H......Page 768 I......Page 771 J......Page 772 K......Page 773 L......Page 774 M......Page 777 N......Page 781 O......Page 782 P......Page 783 R......Page 788 S......Page 791 T......Page 796 V......Page 798 W......Page 799 Z......Page 800

This landmark book explores the ways in which the Greco-Roman tradition has shaped modern European and American literature.

This book explores the ways in which the Greco-Roman tradition has shaped modern European and American literature.