Talk:Ancient Greek literature/Archive 1

Archive 1

Archive 2

"Invention" of Epic Poetry?

I've been updating references to the Epic page. The link here is in reference to the Greeks inventing the form. Did the creators of the Hindi Epics pick them from the Greeks or is that a different form? Just curious - and want things to be accurate. John (Jwy) 22:54, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Shouldn't the Homeric Hymns be part of a page on Ancient Greek literature? 128.220.30.86 08:04, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Ancient Greek litterature was not written

I agree definitly with the clear cut ideas of this article. Western litterature being foot note commentaries on transcriptions of ancient greek poetry. But those transcriptions occured very late, in classical greece, and very few scholar now defend the idea that writing was at all involved in the ways of composing, displaying and transmitting meters until the fourth century AD. The result is that we comment by writs oral compositions, we entirely depends on analphabets to be litterate. And the clear cut idea becomes sharp but quite abashing. I have no idea of the consequence of this; but we definitly cannot talk of ancient greek writers and writings, all is oral composition, the physicians included. The first poet to write is Sophoclès, the reason why he was so scorned by the defenders of Aristophanes, Eschyles, and Euripides. And tragedy is dead after him.

PHARNABAZE —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.123.179.67 (talk) 13:04, 1 May 2007 (UTC).

I have no idea where you are getting this information from. Although it is widely believed that extremely early works of literature such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, the Homeric Hymns, the poems of Hesiod, and the early lyric poets were at first transmitted by oral tradition before being written down, the same cannot be said for most works written after around 520 B.C., by which point literacy in Greece seems to have been fairly widespread. The Homeric epics are widely agreed to have been first written down during the tyranny of Peisistratos, the main period of which lasted from around the 540s or 530s B.C. to 527 B.C. The Greek dramatists, philosophers, and physicians of the Classical Era are widely agreed to have written down their works themselves. (Plato, speaking through the persona of Socrates in his Apology, mentions scrolls being sold for a drachma a piece in the Agora and Aristophanes in his comedies often jokes about copies of plays being sold in the Agora as well.) --Katolophyromai (talk) 23:08, 19 April 2017 (UTC)

A gap in this page

This page does not mention Christian literature in Koine Greek (the word Koine doesn't even appear on this page!), including the New Testament and the writings of various Church Fathers. I'll see what I can find to get the ball rolling, but I'm no literature expert so I'll need help. —Angr 14:17, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

This is an interesting topic. Generally religious and mystery literature does not get included as literature because at the time it appealed to a sectarian audience. While it would be interesting to relate the rhetoric of the New Testament to its classical antecedents, wouldn't that be more appropriate in a separate article on early christian writings? Also, There would be a risk of sectarian focus on texts that were canonised at Nicaea when these represented only a fraction of the genre and they were not the only popular texts. This is worth looking into, but carefully. --CRATYLUS22 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.42.143.168 (talk) 02:04, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

But I wasn't only talking about religious literature; I meant there's nothing about Koine literature here at all! However, I confess I haven't done anything towards finding out more about Koine literature since adding that message all those months ago. —Angr 05:26, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

While the bible may have had immeasurable influence on countless million Europeans/Other and the progeny thereof, Koine Greek is degenerate and impure. Anyone of import or self-respect (those not writing for the the great unwashed) wrote in the Gods' Own. For reference, see: Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Plato, Aristotle, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Thucydides, Xenophon, various others (incl. Demosthenes, Aristophanes, Sappho, various others (won't continue)).

Can you add some information about the greek concepts in literature, such as hubris, nemeses, epiphones, etc.

I turned to this article because I remember studying Greek lit. many moons ago at University. I recall there were many different aspects identified in the literature: hubris, nemesis, etc. I think someone should add something on this.

As I recall one of the ancient Greek scholars laid out a plan on how to write a play, and the way the plot should unfold. For example, for a tragedy the main character needed to undergo hubris, which led to nemesis etc. I can't remember all the plot points myself, but I'm surprised that you have not mentioned them at all. It seems to me that they should be listed.

If this stuff is duplicated elsewhere then a link to it would be helpful.

Thanks.

Dpolwarth (talk) 09:44, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

Further reading

Are there any concise compendia of ancient Greek literature that could be added to this section of the article? Tomer^talk 02:43, 20 April 2009 (UTC)