{"title":"Susan A. Stephens","description":"\u003cp\u003eSusan A. Stephens offers a profound exploration of the cultural and artistic heritage of the Greco-Roman world, with a particular focus on literary history. Her work delves into ancient poetry and the vibrant intellectual communities that shaped early artistic expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect richly detailed narratives that illuminate the lives and works of historical poets, blending scholarly insight with engaging storytelling. Her books are essential for those interested in the intersections of literature, history, and cultural identity within the classical tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-poets-of-alexandria-by-susan-a-stephens-9781848858800","title":"The Poets of Alexandria","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandria was the greatest of the new cities founded by Alexander the Great as his armies swept eastward. It was ruled by his successors, the Ptolemies, who presided over one of the richest and most productive periods in the whole of Greek literature. Susan A. Stephens here reveals a cultural world in transition: reverential of the compositions of the past (especially after the construction of the great library, repository for all previous Greek oeuvres), but at the same time forward-looking and experimental, willing to make use of previous forms of writing in exciting new ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe author examines Alexandria's poets in turn. She discusses the strikingly avant-garde \u003cem\u003eAetia\u003c\/em\u003e of Callimachus; the idealized pastoral forms of Theocritus (which anticipated the invention of fiction); and the neo-Homerian epic of Apollonius, the \u003cem\u003eArgonautica\u003c\/em\u003e, with its impressive combination of narrative grandeur and psychological acuity. She shows that all three poets were innovators, even while they looked to the past for inspiration: drawing upon Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and the lyric poets, they emphasized stories and material that were entirely relevant to their own progressive cosmopolitan environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PTY Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471820964076,"sku":"9781848858800","price":40.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781848858800-the-poets-of-alexandria.jpg?v=1775257409"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/susan-a-stephens.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}