Susan A. Stephens is Sara Hart Kimball Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Classics at Stanford University.
This new Callimachean commentary has a modest goal: to provide readers with a convenient and accessible edition of all six of Callimachus' hymns in one volume, accompanied by notes sufficient for ease of reading (p. vii). S(tephens) has in fact produced a very helpful edition which more than fulfils this ambition and will be of much use to readers of Callimachus' hymns, especially those tackling his work for the first time. Alongside considerable linguistic help, S. offers concise yet lively interpretations of these poems, succinctly distilling the fruits of past scholarship while also adding new interpretations of her own. --Thomas J. Nelson, Mnemosyne ...Stephens shines in illuminating Callimachus's imagery and engagement with the Ptolemaic court. She preserves balance, not overwhelming newcomers with detail yet offering new insights for scholars. ... [T]his volume provides a needed and accessible edition of the collection. Stephens's scholarship and sensitivity to Callimachus's poetry suffuse every page. Invaluable for those interested in Hellenistic poetry; important for students of mythology, history of religion, and Greek literature. ... Highly recommended. --CHOICE ...Stephens...integrates the best of modern scholarship with her own insights to provide a rich and up-to-date guide to the hymns. ... Stephens has produced a deeply learned and highly useful work that should be warmly welcomed by scholars and students alike. --Bryn Mawr Classical Review I would recommend this book to classicists who are interested in the Hymns and want to know more about them. Graduate students studying for their exams are another natural audience. It certainly is a book that I will keep close at hand. -- The Classical Association of the Middle West and South