Ancient Memory

Remembrance and Commemoration in Graeco-Roman Literature

Katharine Mawford, Eleni Ntanou, Katharine Mawford, Eleni Ntanou

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9783110728927
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Although the recent 'memory boom' has led to increasing interdisciplinary interest, there is a significant gap relating to the examination of this topic in Classics. In particular, there is need for a systematic exploration of ancient memory and its use as a critical and methodological tool for delving into ancient literature.

The present volume provides just such an approach, theorising the use and role of memory in Graeco-Roman thought and literature, and building on the background of memory studies. The volume's contributors apply theoretical models such as memoryscapes, civic and cultural memory, and memory loss to a range of authors, from Homeric epic to Senecan drama, and from historiography to Cicero's recollections of performances. The chapters are divided into four sections according to the main perspective taken. These are: 1) the Mechanics of Memory, 2) Collective memory, 3) Female Memory, and 4) Oblivion.

This modern approach to ancient memory will be useful for scholars working across the range of Greek and Roman literature, as well as for students, and a broader interdisciplinary audience interested in the intersection of memory studies and Classics.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part I: The Mechanics of Memory
• Part II: Collective Memory
• Part III: Female Memory
• Part IV: Oblivion
• Part V: Further Thoughts
• List of Contributors
• Index Rerum et Nominum
• Index Locorum