Emotions and Narrative in Ancient Literature and Beyond

Emotions are at the core of much ancient literature, from Achilles’ heartfelt anger in Homer’s Iliad to the pangs of love of Virgil’s Dido. This volume applies a narratological approach to emotions in a wide range of texts and genres. It seeks to analyze ways in which emotions such as anger, fear, pity, joy, love and sadness are portrayed. Furthermore, using recent insights from affective narratology, it studies ways in which ancient narratives evoke emotions in their readers. The volume is dedicated to Irene de Jong for her groundbreaking research into the narratology of ancient literature.

Mathieu de Bakker (Ph.D. 2007, University of Amsterdam) is University Lecturer of Ancient Greek at the University of Amsterdam. He publishes on the Greek historians and orators and is co-author of The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek (Cambridge 2019).

Baukje van den Berg (Ph.D. 2016, University of Amsterdam) is currently Assistant Professor of Byzantine Studies at Central European University, Vienna. She has published on Byzantine scholarship and education and is completing a monograph on the Commentary on the Iliad by Eustathios of Thessalonike for OUP.

Jacqueline Klooster (Ph.D. 2009, University of Amsterdam) is an Assistant Professor of Greek at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. She publishes on Hellenistic Poetry (Poetry as Window and Mirror. Positioning the Poet in Hellenistic Poetry, Leiden / Boston 2011) and is co-editor of the Hellenistica Groningana series.

Contributors are Suzanne Adema, Rutger Allan, Mathieu de Bakker, Silvio Bär, Baukje van den Berg, Anton Bierl, Gerard Boter, Angus Bowie, Pieter van den Broek, Marina Coray, Bruno Currie, Kristoffel Demoen, Koen De Temmerman, Evert van Emde Boas, Patrick Finglass, Margalit Finkelberg, Sofia Frade, Piet Gerbrandy, Lidewij van Gils, Annette Harder, Stephen Harrison, Mark Heerink, Jan Willem van Henten, Luuk Huitink, Casper de Jonge, Geralda Jurriaans-Helle, Ahuvia Kahane, Robert Kirstein, Jacqueline Klooster, Hugo Koning, Martha Krieter, Caroline Kroon, André Lardinois, Françoise Létoublon, Michael Lloyd, Sebastiaan van der Mije, Kathryn A. Morgan, Ilse Müllner, Willie van Peer, Christopher Pelling, Edwin Rabbie, Albert Rijksbaron, Tim Rood, Richard Rutherford, Antonis Tsakmakis, Berenice Verhelst, Gerry Wakker, and Tim Whitmarsh.

"The editors set themselves an ambitious undertaking: to provide further insights, in the form of an anthology, into the “vast and fascinating subject” of emotions. This volume does not only meet our expectations but goes well beyond them. Both editors and contributors have adopted a multifaceted approach, which makes it suitable both for experts and non-experts. (...) The papers in this book all contribute to the volume’s purpose: to honor De Jong’s career and enhance her studies. Although a lengthy read, more than 750 pages in total, the text runs smoothly; the wise chronological division adopted by the editors gently walks readers through centuries, without overwhelming them."
Giulia Maria Paoletti in BMCR2023.07.04