Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.511-733: Latin Text with Introduction, Commentary, Glossary of Terms, Vocabulary Aid and Study Questions - cover image

Book Series

Copyright

Ingo Gildenhard; Andrew Zissos

Published On

2016-09-05

ISBN

Paperback978-1-78374-082-6
Hardback978-1-78374-083-3
PDF978-1-78374-084-0
HTML978-1-80064-497-7
XML978-1-78374-626-2
EPUB978-1-78374-085-7
MOBI978-1-78374-086-4

Language

  • English

Print Length

262 pages (xii + 250)

Dimensions

Paperback156 x 14 x 234 mm(6.14" x 0.55" x 9.21")
Hardback156 x 16 x 234 mm(6.14" x 0.63" x 9.21")

Weight

Paperback822g (29.00oz)
Hardback1203g (42.43oz)

Media

Illustrations8
Tables9

OCLC Number

959329498

LCCN

2019452726

BIC

  • DB
  • DCF
  • CFP

BISAC

  • LIT004190
  • LIT014000
  • POE008000
  • FOR016000

LCC

  • PA6519.M3

Keywords

  • Ovid
  • Metamorphoses
  • myth
  • latin literature
  • commentary
  • vocabulary

Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.511-733

Latin Text with Introduction, Commentary, Glossary of Terms, Vocabulary Aid and Study Questions

  • Ingo Gildenhard (author)
  • Andrew Zissos (author)
This extract from Ovid's 'Theban History' recounts the confrontation of Pentheus, king of Thebes, with his divine cousin, Bacchus, the god of wine. Notwithstanding the warnings of the seer Tiresias and the cautionary tale of a character Acoetes (perhaps Bacchus in disguise), who tells of how the god once transformed a group of blasphemous sailors into dolphins, Pentheus refuses to acknowledge the divinity of Bacchus or allow his worship at Thebes. Enraged, yet curious to witness the orgiastic rites of the nascent cult, Pentheus conceals himself in a grove on Mt. Cithaeron near the locus of the ceremonies. But in the course of the rites he is spotted by the female participants who rush upon him in a delusional frenzy, his mother and sisters in the vanguard, and tear him limb from limb.
The episode abounds in themes of abiding interest, not least the clash between the authoritarian personality of Pentheus, who embodies 'law and order', masculine prowess, and the martial ethos of his city, and Bacchus, a somewhat effeminate god of orgiastic excess, who revels in the delusional and the deceptive, the transgression of boundaries, and the blurring of gender distinctions.
This course book offers a wide-ranging introduction, the original Latin text, study aids with vocabulary, and an extensive commentary. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Gildenhard and Zissos's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to students of Latin at AS and undergraduate level. It extends beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical engagement with Ovid's poetry and discussion of the most recent scholarly thought.

Reviews

The most impressive contribution this volume provides is the first-rate commentary. Gildenhard and Zissos' expertise in Ovidian studies is evident on every page, as they masterfully lead learners through the complexities of the Metamorphoses...Moreover, the detailed commentary is punctuated with numerous helpful charts, diagrams, and pictures that further aid learners in their study. Likewise, the introductory essays are ideal for students on both the secondary and postsecondary levels.

Dr Bartolo Natoli

"Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.511-733. Latin Text with Introduction, Commentary, Glossary of Terms, Vocabulary Aid and Study Questions". The Classical Outlook (0009-8361), vol. 92, no. 4, 2017.

Full Review

Contents

Introduction

(pp. 1–68)
  • Ingo Gildenhard
  • Andrew Zissos

Text

(pp. 69–114)
  • Ingo Gildenhard
  • Andrew Zissos

Commentary

(pp. 115–222)
  • Ingo Gildenhard
  • Andrew Zissos

Appendices

(pp. 223–240)
  • Ingo Gildenhard
  • Andrew Zissos

Contributors

Ingo Gildenhard

(author)
Reader in Classics and the Classical Tradition at University of Cambridge

Andrew Zissos

(author)
Associate Professor of Classics at University of California, Irvine