Product Description

Stephen Halliwell makes newly accessible one of the most influential and widely cited works in the history of literary theory and criticism. Aristotle's Poetics contains his treatment of Greek tragedy: its history, nature, and conventions, with details on poetic diction. This is the only edition of this central work in which readers can find, side by side, a reliable Greek text, a translation that is both accurate and readable, and notes that explain allusions and key ideas. Halliwell's Introduction traces the work's debt to earlier theorists (especially Plato), its distinctive argument, and the reasons behind its enduring relevance.

Also included in the volume are two central post-Aristotelian treatises on literary style: On the Sublime, a discussion of distinguished style (with illustrative passages) probably written in the 1st century A.D.; and On Style, a valuable guide to the Greek theory of styles that dates perhaps as early as the 2nd century B.C. For this new version of Volume XXIII of the Loeb Classical Library Aristotle edition, Fyfe's translation of On the Sublime has been retained but judiciously revised by Donald Russell. Doreen C. Innes' fresh reading of On Style is based on the earlier translation by Roberts. The new Introductions and notes by Russell and Innes reflect today's scholarship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472520 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Review
This volume completely supercedes its predecessor...The Loeb editors have chosen the world's best scholars on these difficult authors for the revisions...Each ancient text is given a clear, informative introduction, outlining for general readers and specialists alike the basic problems and concerns of each essay, backed up with helpful bibliographical notes...In sum, this is an excellent, if overdue, revision of seminal criticism...Congratulations to the contributors and to the series editors for another splendidly produced volume which any scholar of classical literature should now possess.
--Richard Hawley (Classical Review )

This re-edition cum revision of the three most seminal ancient Greek treatises in the aesthetics of literature is much to be welcomed. Together with a new translation of Aristotle's Poetics by Stephen Halliwell, it provides a spruced up version of W. H. Fyfe's spirited rendering of On the Sublime, and a comprehensive revision of W. Rhys Roberts' 1927 edition and translation of On Style. In all three cases new introductions and generous annotations bring the reader up to date with recent scholarship...The volume as a whole succeeds in meeting both the needs of non-classically trained readers and the requirements of scholars. For that reason it cannot be recommended too warmly.
--Suzanne Stern-Gillet (British Journal of Aesthetics )

Under the general editorship of George Gould, the careful revision of the Loeb series continues, with this volume 23 of Aristotle. The Poetics is, of course, the jewel in this crown...It is a tall enough order, at the end of the twentieth century to attempt one translation of Aristotle's Poetics, but Stephen Halliwell has now produced two...This new Loeb edition is, by design, noticeably closer to the Greek than Halliwell's earlier translation. The Greek text itself is a vast improvement over that of Hamilton Fyfe's Loeb, which was based on Vahlen's edition of 1885.

For this edition [of the treatise On Style], Doreen Innes has quite extensively revised that version--with notably favorable results--and has provided a generous introduction, once again with a structural synopsis and bibliographic notes.

This set of revisions was past due, and its arrival is most welcome. The result is a useful and physically very beautiful little volume that, I predict, will see very heavy use.
--John T. Kirby (Classical Outlook )

Possibly the next most important work of literary theory and criticism to survive the wreck of antiquity...is the brilliant treatise Peri hupseos, attributed to someone called Longinus...In this second Loeb edition, the earlier Hamilton Fyfe translation has been overhauled by Donald Russell, surely the greatest living authority on Longinus.

About the Author
Stephen Halliwell is Professor of Greek, University of St. Andrews.

Donald A. Russell is Emeritus Professor of Classical Literature, University of Oxford, and Emeritus Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford.

Doreen C. Innes is Fellow in Classics, St. Hilda's College, Oxford.

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT TRANSLATION - EXCELLENT STUDY GUIDE
I certainly refuse to be presumptuous enough to write a critique addressing the works of Aristotle, but do give this particular translation and particular publication five stars. It is an excellent study guide. It is quite superior to the Classics Club Edition. Recommend it highly. The cross references to the orginal greek are wonderful and quite useful. You need to add this one to your library if your interest points in this direction.

Tragedy Teaches Us Something About Life
I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Poetry appeals to human passions and emotions. Powerful beautiful language and metaphor really appeal to emotion. This idea really disturbed Plato, who takes on Homer in the Republic. Plato thought that early Greek poetry portrays a dark world; humans are checked by negative limits like death. Tragedy has in it a character of high status brought down through no fault of his own. Plato says this is unjust. Republic is about ethical life and justice. It starts with the premises that might makes right and then moves onto the idea much like modern religions that justice comes in the afterlife. Plato hates the idea that in tragedy bad things can happen to good people. He wanted to ban tragedy because he found it demoralizing.

Aristotle's Poetics is a defense against Plato's appeal to ban tragedy. Tragedy was very popular in Greek world so Aristotle asks can it be wrong to ban it? Yes, it is wrong thus he decides to study it. Plato says Poetry is not a technç because the poets are divinely inspired. Aristotle disagrees Poetics is a handbook for playwrights. Mimçsis= "representation or imitation." Plato uses it in speaking of painting, thus art is imitation. Another meaning is to mimic, like actors mimicking another person. Plato and Aristotle use it to mean psychological identification like how we get absorbed in a movie as if the action were real, eliciting emotions from us. We suspend reality for a while. Aristotle says this is natural in humans; we do this as children, we mimic. If imitation is important for humans then tragic poetry is worthwhile for Aristotle to study.

Definition of tragedy- "Through pity and fear it achieves purification from such feelings. This is a famous controversial line. Katharsis= "pity and fear" thus the purpose of tragedy is to purge katharsis. Katharsis can also mean purification or clean. There is a debate if it means clarification, through which we can come to understand katharsis. Aristotle thinks tragedy teaches us something about life. Tragedy is an elaboration on Aristotle's idea that good or virtuous people sometimes get unlucky and in the end, they get screwed. Tragedy shows this so we can learn to get by when life screws us. The whole point of tragedy is action over character. Action is the full story of the poem like the Iliad. Character is only part of the action.
Aristotle distinguishes between poetry and history. Poetry is concerned with universals, history is concerned with particulars.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.