As stated in the subtitle this book is written in honour of Professor Susan A. Stephens, an eminent scholar of Greek literature, particularly Hellenistic literature and culture. There is no introductory chapter, but a foreword note by Richard Saller, who introduces the reader to Professor Stephens briefly and accurately, emphasizing her accomplishments as a scholar, teacher, and mainstay at Stanford University. What follows is a series of twenty-three essays by renowned scholars, authors who are either Stephens’ students or her collaborators, expressing their gratitude in the pages they dedicate to her. The essays are arranged in chronological order, encompassing six thematic parts, followed by an extensive bibliography of Professor Stephens, and an Index. What makes this book valuable to the classical community is that it not only delves into the poetry of the Hellenistic period but also, as the title suggests, includes texts that equally explore the language, literature, and culture, through literary works and artifacts. Therefore, the book as a whole, follows a multi-dimensional approach to the subject, a method that Susan herself employs in her overall research.

The first part, Archaic and Classical Greek Literature, serves as an insightful introduction to the Hellenistic period since the essays on Simonides’ fr.1 and Euripides’ Electra are carefully chosen forerunners to the literary style of the period that follows. Fantuzzi’s paper brilliantly illustrates how Euripides influenced the aesthetics of the following epoch. His focus is Euripides’ Electra, where royals are dressed in humble rags, not to mock them, but to present them realistically and contemporary. Aristotle’s notion that Euripides is the most tragic of the poets [Poet. 1453a29-30] is redefined in this paper as we read Euripides not as someone keen presenting a mother who kills her children, or a queen in love with her stepson, etc., but as someone who deeply understands the suffering of people and presents them in a very realistic manner; however, we have to bear in mind it is the realism of his own time. Human emotions and realistic portrayals are what Hellenistic poets explored widely.

The second part is also a kind of introduction to the Hellenistic period considering it is dedicated to Alexander the Great and his itinerary in Egypt. It is remarkable how the itinerary is reconsidered by Daniel L. Selden, by different readings of the literary sources and the artifacts, which on the other hand explains the nature of the culture that developed on these grounds afterwards. Part III is dedicated to the most prolific poet of the Hellenistic period, Callimachus, whose corpus is examined comparatively, as a papyri text and as a literary work per se in the Egyptian context. Part IV deals with Hellenistic and the Roman culture as an amalgam of different cultures, and Part V explores this period through the prose work, which flourished in the Roman period, but has its history in the Hellenic and the Hellenistic periods. The last part, which is not enumerated, but only titled Aftermath, concludes the Hellenistic period with an intriguing essay on the Christian hagiographer Sophronius, who writes about the miracles of Ss. Cyril and John and their cult at Menouthis. This paper presents the amalgam of Egyptian pagan and Christian orthodox religions on the same grounds where Hellenistic culture was born. At the end of the book, Lee Palmer Wandel closes the narrative with a presentation of Susan’s often-mentioned book on these pages, her seminal work on Hellenistic literature and culture, Seeing Double, and explains why it is ground-breaking.

In conclusion, this book offers a fresh perspective on the Hellenistic period, making it a valuable resource for specialists in the field or those seeking a deeper understanding of Greek and Roman literature. It may be challenging for readers unfamiliar with classical literature, but it provides an enriching exploration of key themes and issues of the Hellenistic era.

Daniela Tosheva

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University,

Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia