The Early Greek Lyric Poets

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

The primary aim of the tutorial is to make the students aware of the main problems and controversies associated with the Greek lyric poets and to provide the necessary introduction for further reading. All Greek in translation. The aim is also to explore the ancient texts of lyric poets and to look at tchem in relations to modern conceptions of lyric. We will try to answer the question what made tchem attractive to a wide range of readers, ancien as well as modern (also non-classicists).

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Fluent English

Syllabus

Week 1: Terminology, the poet’s voice and transmission
Week 2: Sappho’s poetry
Week 3: Alcaeus’ poetry
Week 4: Anacreon’s poetry
Week 5: Simonides’ poetry
Week 6: Bacchylides’ poetry
Week 7: Pindar’s poetry
Week 8: Mimnermus’ poetry
Week 9: Solon’s poetry
Week 10: Theognis’ poetry
Week 11: Xenophanes’ poetry
Week 12: Archilochus’ poetry
Week 13: Semonides’ poetry
Week 14: Anonymous poems
Week 15: Conclusions

Reading list

- The Cambridge Companion to Greek Lyric, ed. Felix Budelmann, Cambridge 2009
- K. J. Dover and Others, Ancient Greek Literature, Oxford 1980
- G. Schade, Lectures on Greek Poetry, Poznań 2016