ENGLISH

Nicander of Colophon's "Theriaca": A Literary Commentary

By Floris Overduin

Book information

Publisher
Brill Academic Publishers
Year
2014
ISBN
900427121X, 9789004271210
ISSN
0169-8958
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
3 MB (2810288 bytes)
Series
Mnemosyne Supplements 374
Pages
xiv+588\603
Topic
Literature Library
Orientation
yes
Paginated
yes
Scanned
portrait
Time added
2015-10-30 23:18:37
Medieval Movements Periods History Criticism Liter

Description

In modern times the Theriaca of Nicander of Colophon (2nd century BCE) has not attracted many enthusiasts. Its complicated style, abstruse diction and technical subject matter – venomous bites and their remedies – have long put off classical scholars. In the wake of renewed interest in Hellenistic poetry, however, Nicander’s dark poetry deserves new appreciation. In this book Floris Overduin provides a literary commentary on the Theriaca, focusing on Nicander’s artistic merits. Viewed against the background of Alexandrian aesthetics and the didactic epic tradition, Nicander deserves pride of place among his Hellenistic peers. This book, the first full commentary in English, may thus contribute to the reappraisal of Nicander’s Theriaca as a work of literature, not science.

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