Poetry and Poetics in the Presocratic Philosophers: Reading Xenophanes, Parmenides and Empedocles as Literature

This book is the first book-length study of the surviving fragments of Xenophanes, Parmenides, and Empedocles, exploring their significance and impact for ancient audiences and readers. It sheds new light on their philosophical projects and enriches our appreciation of their works as literary artefacts, expanding our knowledge of the genres in which they wrote and the literary culture of the Western Greek world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Xenophanes, Parmenides, and Empedocles, three of the Presocratic thinkers who are traditionally credited with laying the foundation of Greek philosophy, stand out for their exceptional use of verse in their writings. This groundbreaking book is the first comprehensive literary-critical examination of their work. It explores the surviving fragments of their writings within their broader cultural and performative contexts, employing intertextual and intratextual analyses to reconstruct their significance and impact for ancient audiences and readers. By drawing upon insights from literary theory and the philosophy of literature, the book offers fresh perspectives on these authors' philosophical endeavors and enhances our appreciation of their works as literary masterpieces. Furthermore, it broadens our understanding of the genres in which they wrote, the literary culture of the Western Greek world, and the evolution of Greek poetics from the Archaic to the Classical periods. By shedding light on the influence of these thinkers on more renowned Sophistic and Platonic ideas about literature, the book contributes to a deeper understanding of the rich tapestry of Greek intellectual heritage.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 158 x 237 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108843935