The Portable Greek Reader
The Portable Greek Reader by Wystan Hugh Auden, published by Penguin Books in 1977, is a comprehensive anthology that explores the foundational aspects of Greek civilization. This edition spans 726 pages and is presented in English, offering readers a curated selection of texts that highlight the cultural legacy of ancient Greece. The anthology includes excerpts from notable works such as the mythologies of Hesiod, the epics of Homer, and the dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, alongside philosophical writings from Plato and Aristotle.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of themes including heroism, love, politics, and tragedy woven throughout the selections. The Portable Greek Reader not only showcases the literary and historical significance of these ancient texts but also provides insights into the thoughts and values that shaped Greek society. Accompanied by Auden’s introduction, this anthology serves as a valuable resource for those interested in literary criticism and the historical context of ancient Greece.
Official synopsis Publisher
It is commonplace to say that our civilization is built on the ruins of Greece. W. H. Auden’s splendid anthology locates the truth behind the truism, while filling in the gaps in our knowledge of a people who gave us so much of our cultural legacy.
Every page in The Portable Greek Reader contains some fundamental precursor of the ways in which we think about heroism, destiny, love, politics, tragedy, science, virtue, and thought itself, Included are excerpts from the mythologies of Hesiod; the martial epics of Homer; the dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; the philosophy of Plato, Aristotle, and Heraclitus; Aesop’s fables; poems by Pindar and Sappho; the scientific writings of Euclid, Galen, and Hippocrates; and the history of Thucydides. Presented in their most elegant and authoritative translations, and accompanied by Auden’s brilliant introduction, these selections recreate the Greek world in all its splendor, strangeness, and sophistication.
“Engaging and full and intelligent … a command performance, brought off with considerable aplomb.”
—The New York Times
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