Nostalgias for Homer in Greek Literature of the Roman Empire

This volume investigates how versions of Trojan War narratives written in Greek in the first through fifth centuries C.E. created nostalgias for audiences.

In ancient education, the Iliad and the Odyssey were used as models through which students learned Greek language and literature. This, combined with the ruling elite-s financial encouragement of re-creations of the Greek literature of the past, created a culture of nostalgia. This book explores the different responses to this climate, particularly in the case of the third-century C.E. poet Quintus of Smyrna-s epic Posthomerica. Positioning itself as a sequel to the Iliad and a prequel to the Odyssey, the Posthomerica is unique in its middle-of-the-road response to nostalgia for Homer-s epics. This book contrasts Quintus- poem with other responses to nostalgia for Homeric narratives in Greek literature of the Roman Empire. Some authors contradict pivotal events of the Iliad a