Reception Studies

The texts, images and events of the ancient world have been used both as sources of authority and exploitation in politics, culture and society and as icons of resistance and contest. How classical culture is transplanted into new contexts, how texts are translated and performed and how Greek and Roman values are perceived and used continues to be a force in current debates. The main concepts and explanatory frameworks used in the field are introduced through chapters on reception within antiquity and case studies of more recent receptions from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the USA. This revised second edition will be of use to all those interested in the relationship between the arts, culture and society as well as to students and teachers of classical subjects and of literature, drama, film and comparative cultural studies.

• This volume introduces the main concepts of reception studies: the use of texts, images and events of the ancient world in more recent politics, culture and society
• Case studies from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the USA are used to explore how classical culture is transplanted into new contexts, as a source of both authority and exploitation and resistance and contest
• This volume is also of interest to students and teachers of film, drama, literature and comparative cultural studies