The Gods in Epic: Poets and Critics of the Classical Tradition (Clarendon Paperbacks)

This is the first study devoted to the classical literary tradition as a whole, together with the apparatus of critical scholarship which was part of that tradition. The work of the ancient critics provides some access to the interpretative conventions of the original reading community, while their theories of fiction and genre may also shed light on the problems of the truth-value of epic fiction and the kind of belief that poetry generates. Focusing on the poets themselves, Feeney explores the themes associated with each poet, including the fiction of Apollonius, allegory in the work of Statius, and anthropomorphism in Ovid's work. "The role of gods in the classical world's epic tradition has been the subject of controversy since ancient times, and many modern readers continue to find their presence a source of frustration. Although the problem of the gods in some individual works has been intensely discussed, this is the first study to be devoted to the classical literary tradition as a whole, together with the apparatus of critical scholarship which was part of that tradition. The survey seeks to restore a sense of the power of this unique form of fiction" -- Page 4 of cover Examines the role played by the gods in classical epic. The work begins with an examination of classical literary theory and then discusses different topics with regard to different poets: allegory with Statius, anthropomorphism with Ovid, fiction with Apollonius and so on.