Preface -- The poem of force and pity : the Illiad -- The novel of return : the Odyssey -- The birth of thought : myth and poetry -- The birth of history -- Tragedy and justice -- The tragedy of knowledge -- Death and logos -- We, I, they, he : the lyric -- The invention of Rome -- Everything changes, nothing dies.
Summary:
Boitani's presentation of the classics is as entertaining and unexpected as it is informative. He invites the reader to discover the timeless beauty and wisdom of ancient literature, highlighting its profound and surprising connections to the present. With their emphasis on the mutability and fluidity of identity and matter, their examination of the power and position of women in society, and their enduring treatments of force and subjugation, fate and free will, the ethical life, hospitality, love, compassion, and mysticism, the classics play active roles in our lives and can help us refine our opinions and our values. Ranging from Homer to Tacitus, with Thucydides, Aristotle Sophocles, Cicero, and many others in between, Boitani's A New Sublime is a fresh, inspiring reminder of the enduring importance and beauty of the classics of the Western canon.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.