Space and Time in Ancient Greek Narrative
Space and Time in Ancient Greek Narrative
In this wide-ranging survey of ancient Greek narrative from archaic epic to classical prose, Alex Purves shows how stories unfold in space as well as in time. She traces a shift in authorial perspective, from a godlike overview to the more focused outlook of human beings caught up in a developing plot, inspired by advances in cartography, travel, and geometry. Her analysis of the temporal and spatial dimensions of ancient narrative leads to new interpretations of important texts by Homer, Herodotus, and Xenophon, among others, showing previously unnoticed connections between epic and prose. Drawing on the methods of classical philology, narrative theory, and cultural geography, Purves recovers a poetics of spatial representation that lies at the core of the Greeks' conception of their plots.
- First systematic study of relationship between space and narrative in Classics
- Wide-ranging, combines readings of Homer, Herodotus, Xenophon
- Reads development of narrative and emergence of prose in light of contemporary developments in science and geography
Reviews & endorsements
"Space and Time in Ancient Greek Narrative is a demanding, yet rewarding read, full of original insights and arresting observations..." --BMCR
"It’s beautifully written and will open up new avenues of exploration for many kinds of readers: those interested in historiography, cartography, Homeric epic, or narrative generally. Careful research is evident in the footnotes (which, while carrying full sets of citations, are admirably brief) and in the up-to-date bibliography." --The Classical Journal Online
"...its questions and observations are probing and deeply engaging—expanding our horizons." --Classical Review
Product details
January 2014Paperback
9781107647909
286 pages
229 × 152 × 16 mm
0.42kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction: the perfect surveyor
- 1. The Eusynoptic Iliad: visualizing space and movement in the poem
- 2. Paths and measures: epic space and the Odyssey
- 3. The world in the hand: Anaximander, Pherecydes, and the invention of cartography
- 4. Map and narrative: Herodotus' Histories
- 5. Losing the way home: Xenophon's Anabasis
- 6. Finding (things at) home: Xenophon's Oeconomicus.
