Overview

The concept of mimesis has dominated reflection on the nature and role, in Greek literature, of representation. Jonas Grethlein, in his ambitious new book, takes this reflection a step further. He argues that, beyond mimesis, there was an important but unacknowledged strand of reflection focused instead on the nuanced idea of apatē (often translated into English as 'deceit'), oscillating between notions of 'deception' and 'aesthetic illusion'. Many authors from Gorgias and Plato to Philo, Plutarch and Clement of Alexandria used this key concept to entwine aesthetics with ethics. In creatively exploring the various reconfigurations of apatē, and placing these in their socio-historical contexts, the book offers a bold new history of ancient aesthetics. It also explores the present significance of the aesthetics of deception, unlocking the potential of ancient reflection for current debates on the ethical dimension of representation. It will appeal to scholars in classics and literary theory alike.

Full Product Details

9781316518816

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Jonas Grethlein is Professor of Greek in the Seminar für Klassische Philologie at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. His publications include The Greeks and their Past: Poetry, Oratory and History in the Fifth Century BCE (Cambridge, 2010), Experience and Teleology in Ancient Historiography: Futures Past from Herodotus to Augustine (Cambridge, 2013) and Aesthetic Experience and Classical Antiquity: The Significance of Form in Narratives and Pictures (Cambridge, 2017).

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available