Laura Swift – författare

In antiquity Archilochus of Paros was considered a poet rivalled only by Homer and Hesiod, yet he has been relatively neglected by modern scholarship. This is largely due to the fragmentary state of his surviving poetry, though our knowledge has expanded significantly since the middle of the twentieth century as new papyrological finds continue to augment the corpus and our understanding of the poet and his work evolves. This volume is the first ever complete commentary on Archilochus, filling a substantial gap in scholarship on archaic Greek poetry and playing an important and timely role in re-establishing him as a major author and in locating the recent discoveries in the broader context of his oeuvre. Presenting the fragmentary texts alongside brand new translations, the volume also contains a comprehensive introduction offering an accessible guide to Archilochus' work and context, and a detailed commentary providing textual, literary, and historical analysis of all of his surviving poetry and discussing broader questions of performance and genre in early Greek poetic culture. The scope and depth of the analysis not only highlights the diversity and sophistication of Archilochus' work, but also sheds new light on our understanding of Greek iambus and elegy, while his influence on later writers means that the commentary will be of significance to scholars and students of Hellenistic and Roman literature, and the later lyric tradition, as well as archaic and classical Greek literature.

For over two centuries-starting with the earliest surviving iambic poet and elegist, Archilochus-elegy and iambus attracted some of the finest poetic talents in Greek history and played a major role in public and private life, surviving as living forms into the fourth century BC. The study of these poetic forms has been transformed in recent years by new papyrological finds, yet historically scholarly attention has tended to focus predominantly on Greek lyric poetry. This edited collection provides the first comprehensive exploration devoted specifically to iambus and elegy, offering an important insight into the key issues within current research on the genres. Chapters by leading international experts in the field examine the forms from a broad range of perspectives-addressing questions of genre definition, performance and context, authorial voice and style, interactions and intertexts, and the texts' transmission and reception-and provide a solid foundation for future research.

"Euripides' Ion" is the story of a young man's search for his identity, and a woman's attempt to come to terms with her past. Through the story of a divine rape and its consequences, it asks questions about the justice of the gods and the nature of parenthood, encouraging its audience to consider contemporary concerns through the filter of traditional myth. This detailed study outlines the pre-history and later reception of the Ion myth, and provides a literary interpretation of the play's main themes, aiming to combine analysis of the text with a consideration of its cultural contexts. Chapters on religion, family, and national identity investigate how Euripides handles these issues in the light of the values of his day, and a chapter on genre discusses the play's upbeat ending and explores how we should define tragedy.

Euripides' Bacchae is one of the most widely read and performed Greek tragedies. A story of implacable divine vengeance, it skilfully transforms earlier currents of literature and myth, and its formative influence on modern ideas of Greek tragedy and religion is unparalleled. This up-to-date edition offers a detailed literary and cultural analysis. The wide-ranging Introduction discusses such issues as the psychological and anthropological aspects of Dionysiac ritual, the god's ability to blur gender boundaries, his particular connection to dramatic role-playing, and the interaction of belief and practice in Greek religion. The Commentary's notes on language and style are intended to make the play fully accessible to students of Greek at all levels, while the edition as a whole is designed for anyone with an interest in Greek tragedy or cultural history.

Euripides' Bacchae is one of the most widely read and performed Greek tragedies. A story of implacable divine vengeance, it skilfully transforms earlier currents of literature and myth, and its formative influence on modern ideas of Greek tragedy and religion is unparalleled. This up-to-date edition offers a detailed literary and cultural analysis. The wide-ranging Introduction discusses such issues as the psychological and anthropological aspects of Dionysiac ritual, the god's ability to blur gender boundaries, his particular connection to dramatic role-playing, and the interaction of belief and practice in Greek religion. The Commentary's notes on language and style are intended to make the play fully accessible to students of Greek at all levels, while the edition as a whole is designed for anyone with an interest in Greek tragedy or cultural history.

Discover the power of Greek lyric with essays from some of the foremost scholars in the field today Recent decades have seen a strong resurgence of interest in Greek lyric, resulting in this topic becoming one of the most dynamic areas of Classical scholarship. In A Companion to Greek Lyric, renowned Classical scholar Laura Swift delivers a collection of essays by international experts and emerging voices that offers up-to-date approaches on the methodology, contexts, and reception of Greek lyric from the archaic to the Hellenistic period. This edited volume includes detailed analyses of the poets themselves, as well as a reflection of the current state of play in the study of Greek lyric. It showcases the scope and range of approaches to be found in scholarly work in the field.  Newcomers to the subject will benefit from the range of contextual and technical information included that allows for a more effective engagement with the lyric poets. Readers will also enjoy:   Guidance on working with texts that are mainly preserved as fragments A selection of ways in which lyric poetry has influenced and inspired writers from Rome to the modern era Recommendations for further reading that offer a starting point for how to follow up on a particular topic  Perfect for undergraduate and master’s students taking courses on Greek lyric or survey courses on classical literature, A Companion to Greek Lyric also belongs in the libraries of students of English or Comparative Literature seeking an authoritative resource for Greek lyric.

This textbook is endorsed by OCR and supports the specification for AS and A-Level Classical Civilisation (first teaching September 2017). It covers Components 21 and 22 from the 'Culture and the Arts' Component Group:Greek Theatre by James Renshaw and Laura SwiftImperial Image by Robert Hancock-JonesWhy was tragedy and comedy so central to Athenian life? How did drama challenge Athenians to reflect on their way of living? How did the emperor Augustus present himself as the restorer of Rome’s greatness? To what extent did he provide an example to later political figures as a promoter of his regime? This book guides AS and A-Level students to a greater understanding of these issues. The Greek Theatre chapter explores the festival context in which tragedies and comedies were performed, and then analyses three plays: Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Bacchae by Euripides and Frogs by Aristophanes. The Imperial Image chapter analyses the self-presentation of Rome’s most dynamic emperor, who claimed to have found Rome ‘a city of bricks, but left it a city of marble’. The ideal preparation for the final examinations, all content is presented by experts and experienced teachers in a clear and accessible narrative. Ancient literary and visual sources are described and analysed, with supporting images. Helpful student features include study questions, quotations from contemporary scholars, further reading, and boxes focusing in on key people, events and terms. Practice questions and exam guidance prepare students for assessment.A Companion Website is available at www.bloomsbury.com/class-civ-as-a-level.