Quintus Smyrnaeus fue un poeta épico griego cuya obra continúa la gran tradición narrativa homérica. Su Posthomerica retoma la narración de la Guerra de Troya después de los sucesos relatados en las epopeyas de Homero, profundizando en los aspectos a menudo no contados del conflicto. Smyrnaeus buscó revivir los antiguos estilos épicos, centrándose en vívidas representaciones de hazañas heroicas y los giros dramáticos del destino en las etapas finales de la guerra. Su poesía ofrece a los lectores una rica expansión del mito de la Guerra de Troya, mostrando una continuación magistral de la épica clásica.
Quintus Smyrnaeus' Posthomerica, composed between the late second and mid- fourth centuries AD, boldly adapts Homeric diction and style to fill in the story of the Trojan expedition between the end of the Iliad and the beginning of the Odyssey. This edition replaces the earlier Loeb Classical Library edition by A. S. Way (1913).
Set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, this translation illuminates the narrative power and literary significance of the now-lost Greek epics known as the Epic Cycle. Alan James's line-by-line verse translation captures the essence of Quintus's work, showcasing themes of heroism, cunning, and the complexities of the human experience. The edition features a comprehensive introduction, detailed summaries, source commentary, and an index of names, enriching the reader's understanding of this vibrant tale that complements the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Posthomerica
Composed in the third century A.D., the Trojan Epic is the earliest surviving literary evidence for many of the traditions of the Trojan War passed down from ancient Greece. Also known as the Posthomerica , or "sequel to Homer," the Trojan Epic chronicles the course of the war after the burial of Troy's greatest hero, Hektor. Quintus, believed to have been an educated Greek living in Roman Asia Minor, included some of the war's most legendary events: the death of Achilles, the Trojan Horse, and the destruction of Troy. But because Quintus deliberately imitated Homer's language and style, his work has been dismissed by many scholars as pastiche. A vivid and entertaining story in its own right, the Trojan Epic is also particularly significant for what it reveals about its sources—the much older, now lost Greek epics about the Trojan War known collectively as the Epic Cycle. Written in the Homeric era, these poems recounted events not included in the Iliad or the Odyssey . As Alan James makes clear in this vibrant and faithful new translation, Quintus's work deserves attention for its literary-historical importance and its narrative power. James's line-by-line verse translation in English reveals the original as an exciting and eloquent tale of gods and heroes, bravery and cunning, hubris and brutality. James includes a substantial introduction which places the work in its literary and historical context, a detailed and annotated book-by-book summary of the epic, a commentary dealing mainly with sources, and an explanatory index of proper names. Brilliantly revitalized by James, the Trojan Epic will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in Greek mythology and the legend of Troy.
Unveränderter Nachdruck der Originalausgabe von 1866.