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Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature by Barry B. Powell (University of Wisconsin, Madison) at Abbey's Bookshop,
Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature
— —
Barry B. Powell (University of Wisconsin, Madison)

Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature

Barry B. Powell (University of Wisconsin, Madison)

$174.95

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English
Cambridge University Press
20 February 2003
Historical & comparative linguistics; Palaeography (history of writing); Literary studies: classical, early & medieval
Professor Powell ties the origin and nature of archaic Greek literature to the special technology of Greek alphabetic writing. In building his model he presents chapters on specialized topics - text, orality, myth, literacy, tradition, and memorization - and then shows how such special topics relate to larger issues of cultural transmission from East to West. Several chapters are devoted to the theory and history of writing, its definition and general nature as well as such individual developments as semasiography and logosyllabography, Chinese writing, and the West Semitic family of syllabaries. He shows how the Greek alphabet put an end to the multiliteralism of Eastern traditions of writing, and how the recording of Homer and other early epic poetry cannot be separated from the alphabetic revolution. Finally, he explains how the creation of Greek alphabetic texts demoticized Greek myth and encouraged many free creations of new myths based on Eastern images.
By:  
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 156mm,  Spine: 14mm
Weight:   500g
ISBN:   9780521782067
ISBN 10:   0521782066
Pages:   228
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
List of figures; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: building models like a wigwam; 2. Text; 3. Orality and genre; 4. Myth; 5. Literacy; 6. Tradition; 7. Memorization; 8. M. L. West and the Eastern origins of Greek tradition; 9. Cultural transmission by literate means in the Near East; 10. Writing: general; 11. Writing: semasiography and logosyllabography; 12. Writing: the Chinese enigma; 13. Oral and written in the land between the rivers; 14. Oral and written in the Valley of the Nile; 15. The West Semitic revolution; 16. The invention of the Greek alphabet and the end of multiliteralism; 17. Where does Homer fit in the alphabetic revolution?; 18. The aoidos in context; 19. Aoidic innovation in myth: stories from pots; 20. Summary and conclusions: early Greek literature in context; Bibliography; Index.

Barry B. Powell is Halls-Bascom Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His books include Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet (1991 HB 0521371570; 1996 PB 052158907X).

Reviews for Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature

' … a powerful and original book …' Ancient West & East


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