A Dictionary of Classical Greek Quotations (eBook, ePUB)

Redaktion: Yeroulanos, Marinos

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

'Only god is truly wise: human wisdom is of little or no value', declaimed Plato in his Apology. And yet the ancient Greeks, including Plato himself, more than any other people of antiquity were fascinated by the pursuit of the wisdom they called philosophia. That search for knowledge involved an extensive use of maxims and quotations, as we can see from those expressions of Homer prefaced by the phrase 'as people say'. Classical Greek lore and sagacity have throughout history continued to provide inspiration to figures as diverse as the Church Fathers, Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Marx and John F Kennedy. Indeed, Homer, the Seven Sages and the Pre-Socratic philosophers are still extensively quoted in all the major western languages, while the admired sayings of Heraclitus, for instance, are known only through his quotations, his actual writings having long been lost. Yet for all their popularity and ubiquity, until now there has been no single resource for these quotations to which interested readers might turn.
This unique and handsome reference book offers one of the most comprehensive selections of Greek quotations ever committed to print. Organised alphabetically, with the original Greek followed by an accompanying English translation, it collects some 7500 entries, ranging from the archaic period to late antiquity, and across philosophy, drama, poetry, history, science and medicine. Containing a full list of translators and of abbreviations, its index of key words enables the fast and efficient sourcing of each entry. This is a handbook designed for years of pleasurable and profitable browsing. Many readers may find that the views expressed twenty centuries ago, and now helpfully contained between one set of covers, are as pertinent and provocative today as they were then.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK
• Seitenzahl: 920
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. Juni 2016
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781786720498
• Artikelnr.: 59935298

Autorenporträt

Marinos Yeroulanos was formerly a member of UNESCO's National Committee and a past President of the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece. He specialised in the study of ancient Greek literature and other aspects of the culture of antiquity. He also led a distinguished career in business and public life.

Inhaltsangabe

Foreword Acknowledgements Note to the Reader IntroductionQuotationsSpecial CategoriesAnonymousInscriptions Enigmata and Riddles Oracles and Omens Proverbial Collections of Proverbs Paradoxa and Nonsensical Proverbial Expressions Seven Sages Songs Appendices1. Quotations on Greece and Greeks 2. Abbreviations 3. List of Translators 4. Useful Websites 5. Copyright Acknowledgements 6. Maps Index of Names and Places Keyword Index

Rezensionen

A compendious dictionary with an impressive index for anyone seeking to remember a half-forgotten tag or make their speeches sound more learned. Times Literary Supplement