Beginnings in Classical Literature

This volume explores the various ways in which literary works begin, with essays on nearly all the major genres of Greek and Latin literature.

The ways in which literary works begin have proved fascinating to readers and critics at least since Aristophanes. This collection of essays gives life to a topic of perennial interest by presenting a variety of original readings in nearly all the major genres of Greek and Latin literature. The subjects of these essays range from narrative voices in the opening of the Odyssey to ideological reasons for Tacitus' choice of a beginning in the Histories, and from a survey of opening devices in Greek poetry to the playwright's negotiations with the audience in Roman comedy. Other papers discuss 'false starts' in Gorgias and Herodotus, the prologues of Greek tragedy, Plato's 'frame' dialogues, delayed proems in Virgil, the role of the patron in Horace, aristocratic beginnings in Seneca, and 'inappropriate' prefaces in Plutarch. By embracing a variety of authors and a broad range of approaches, from formal analysis of opening devices to post-structural interpretation, these twelve contributions by both younger and established scholars offer an exciting new perspective on beginnings in classical literature.

Introduction: beginning at Colonus Francis M. Dunn; How Greek poems begin William H. Race; The Muse corrects: the opening of the Odyssey Victoria Pedrick; Sappho 16, Gorgias' Helen and the preface to Herodotus' histories Hayden Pelliccia; Tragic beginnings: narration, voice and authority in the prologues of Greek drama Charles Segal; Plato's first words Diskin Clay; Plautine negotiations: the Poenulus prologue unpacked Niall W. Slater; Proems in the middle Gian Biagio Conte; Openings in Horace's Satires and Odes: poet, patron and audience Barbara K. Gold; An aristocracy of virtue: Seneca on the beginnings of wisdom Thomas N. Habinek; Beginnings in Plutarch's Lives Thomas G. Rosenmeyer; 'Initium mihi operis Servius Galba iterum T. Vinius consules …' Thomas Cole.

This volume explores the various ways in which literary works begin, with essays on nearly all the major genres of Greek and Latin literature (including epic and lyric poetry, tragedy and comedy, history, philosophy, and biography). This collection offers an important perspective by bringing together a variety of authors and a broad range of approaches, from formal analysis of opening devices to post-structural interpretation.