M. L. West (1937–2015)

This is a comprehensive and magisterial treatment of Asian (Semitic/Hittite/Hurrian) influence on Greek culture, from Homer and Hesiod down to Aeschylus. Parts of the work can be a bit of a slog -- small and unrelated details in epic -- but overall it is a fascinating corrective to the general emphasis on either autocthonous or Indo-European sources for Greek literature and culture.

A few years ago I thought I would quickly read Republic. This tactical error has lead to an obsession with Greek literature and I am now scraping the barrel with this anthology in a desperate attempt to find new material. It basically contains every extant Greek lyric from before 450BC with the exception of Pindar and Bacchylides. Some authors are suurvived by only a single line of verse which is sad, but also frustrating as it's impossible to get any clear idea of who they were. Others do show more come across clearly and there's some really beautiful stuff. Sappho is of particular interest as her enormous reputation today is based on such a slender number of verses.

Recommended for anyone who must read everything by the ancient Greeks or for those who want an overview of what sort of work they were producing. Clear translations and sensible notes. For what it is, I cannot find fault with it. show less

Great collection of Greek poetry ranging from the 7th Century through the 5th Century BC. A period when gods, goddess, and the underlings were central players in life. There are pleas to the gods and thanks as well. Archilochus, however, finds writing erotica a better use of time. Simonides uses the god's creation of women and ties it to different animals in a very unflattering way. The collection covers wars, pointers for daily life, and even drinking songs. Not all poet’s works are show more complete several, including Sappho, contain only fragments of what has survived. Also several of the poems have lines or works filled in where missing. Perhaps what is most surprising is how much we still have today even after the destruction of the library at Alexandria. show less

Regardless of the content of the rest of the book, I give the rating of five stars for the incredibly entertaining reconstructed *proto-poem on the last page.