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Let us begin, as is proper, with the gods rich in praise – or, more precisely, with The Gods Rich in Praise, one of three strikingly good monographs based on doctoral theses that will appear in this set of reviews. Christopher Metcalf examines the relations between early Greek poetry and the ancient Near East, focusing primarily on hymnic poetry. This type of poetry has multiple advantages: there is ample primary material, it displays formal conservatism, and there are demonstrable lines of translation and adaptation linking Sumerian, Akkadian, and Hittite texts. The Near Eastern material is presented in the first three chapters; four chapters examine early Greek poetry. Two formal aspects are selected for analysis (hymnic openings and negative predication), and two particular passages: the birth of Aphrodite in Theogony 195–206, and the mention of a dream interpreter in Iliad 1.62–4. In this last case, Metcalf acknowledges the possibility of transmission, while emphasizing the process of ‘continuous adaptation and reinterpretation’ (225) that lie behind the Homeric re-contextualization. In general, though, his detailed analyses tend to undermine the ‘argument by accumulation’ by which West and others have tried to demonstrate profound and extensive Eastern influence on early Greek poetry. Metcalf finds no evidence for formal influence: ‘in the case of hymns, Near Eastern influence on early Greek poetry was punctual (i.e. restricted to particular points) at the most, but certainly not pervasive’ (3). His carefully argued case deserves serious attention.
1 The Gods Rich in Praise. Early Greek and Mesopotamian Religious Poetry. By Metcalf, Christopher. Oxford Classical Monographs. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xiv + 288. Hardback £60, ISBN: 978-0-19-872336-3 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
2 Hesiod's Theogony. From Near Eastern Creation Myths to Paradise Lost. By Scully, Stephen. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xiv + 268. 11 illustrations. Hardback £55, ISBN: 978-0-19-025396-7 Google Scholar.
3 Playing Hesiod. The ‘Myth of the Races’ in Classical Antiquity. By van Noorden, Helen. Cambridge Classical Studies. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2015. Pp. x + 350. Hardback £70, ISBN: 978-0-521-76081-2 Google Scholar.
4 The Hesiodic Catalogue of Women and Archaic Greece. By Ormand, Kirk. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. x + 350. Hardback £64.99, ISBN: 978-1-107-03519-5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
5 Homeric Epic and Its Reception. Interpretive Essays. By Schein, Seth L.. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016. Pp. xiv + 225. Hardback £45. ISBN: 978-0-19-958941-8 Google Scholar.
6 Hesiod's Works and Days. How to Teach Self-sufficiency. By Canevaro, Lilah Grace. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xiv + 269. Hardback £55, ISBN: 978-0-19-872954-9 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
7 Aristophanes. Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs. Translated with introduction and notes by Halliwell, Stephen. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xcvi + 298. Hardback £55, ISBN: 978-0-19-814994-1; paperback £8.99, ISBN: 978-0-19-282409-7 Google Scholar.
8 Aristophanes. Wasps. Edited with introduction and commentary by Biles, Zachary P. and Olson, S. Douglas. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. lxxxvi + 530. Hardback £110, ISBN: 978-0-19-969940-7 Google Scholar.