The Mimiambs of Herodas: Translated into an English Choliambic Metre with Literary-Historical Introductions and Notes

(Hardback)

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The third-century BC Greek poet Herodas had been all but forgotten until a papyrus of eight of his Mimiambs (plus fragments) turned up in the Egyptian desert at the end of the 19th century. They have since been translated into various modern languages and supplied with scholarly commentaries. This book is the first to attempt to reproduce in English Herodas choliambic or limping metre (sic) - distinctive for its signatory reversed final foot, a variant on the standard Greek iambic trimeter. The present volume provides an accessible introduction to Herodas and his Mimiambs requiring no knowledge of Greek. The translation steers a judicious course between literal accuracy and fidelity to this linguistically very demanding poets spirit and intention. The contextual introductions and notes on the poems take into account the most recent scholarship, providing explanation of the context of the Mimiambs and guiding the reader to an appreciation of the poetry itself. The General Introduction places the author in his cultural world and context, namely urban society in the Ptolemaic Empire of the hellenistic period. This he conjures up in his Mimiambs with an often scathing vividness.

Reviews

The translations are the strongest element of the work, and one can readily imagine them being utilised as scripts, introducing students to Herodas poetry through performance. * The Classical Review *
A perfect companion to Knox and Hedlam The choliambics of Anna Rist fairly sing; they remind one that Herodas was meant for performance and enjoyment The introductions make it possible to appreciate the subtleties and double entendres. * George W. M. Harrison, Professor of Greek and Roman Studies, Carleton University, USA *
A bold and lively translation of Herodas, echoing his metre and capturing his racy and artful style, with introduction and notes that help the reader enjoy these Mimiambs as scripts for performance. * Pat Easterling, Regius Professor Emeritus of Greek, University of Cambridge, UK *

Author Bio

Anna Rist was Lecturer in Classics at the University of Toronto, Canada, and is now a private scholar. Her publications include The Poems of Theocritus (1978), We Etruscans (2006) and a book of poems and a one-act play: Festival and Ferial (2014).