The Poetics of Consent

Collective Decision Making and the Iliad

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, History, Ancient History
Cover of the book The Poetics of Consent by David F. Elmer, Johns Hopkins University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David F. Elmer ISBN: 9781421408279
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Publication: February 15, 2013
Imprint: Language: English
Author: David F. Elmer
ISBN: 9781421408279
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication: February 15, 2013
Imprint:
Language: English

The Poetics of Consent breaks new ground in Homeric studies by interpreting the Iliad’s depictions of political action in terms of the poetic forces that shaped the Iliad itself. Arguing that consensus is a central theme of the epic, David Elmer analyzes in detail scenes in which the poem’s three political communities—Achaeans, Trojans, and Olympian gods—engage in the process of collective decision making.

These scenes reflect an awareness of the negotiation involved in reconciling rival versions of the Iliad over centuries. They also point beyond the Iliad’s world of gods and heroes to the here-and-now of the poem’s performance and reception, in which the consensus over the shape and meaning of the Iliadic tradition is continuously evolving.

Elmer synthesizes ideas and methods from literary and political theory, classical philology, anthropology, and folklore studies to construct an alternative to conventional understandings of the Iliad’s politics. The Poetics of Consent reveals the ways in which consensus and collective decision making determined the authoritative account of the Trojan War that we know as the Iliad.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Poetics of Consent breaks new ground in Homeric studies by interpreting the Iliad’s depictions of political action in terms of the poetic forces that shaped the Iliad itself. Arguing that consensus is a central theme of the epic, David Elmer analyzes in detail scenes in which the poem’s three political communities—Achaeans, Trojans, and Olympian gods—engage in the process of collective decision making.

These scenes reflect an awareness of the negotiation involved in reconciling rival versions of the Iliad over centuries. They also point beyond the Iliad’s world of gods and heroes to the here-and-now of the poem’s performance and reception, in which the consensus over the shape and meaning of the Iliadic tradition is continuously evolving.

Elmer synthesizes ideas and methods from literary and political theory, classical philology, anthropology, and folklore studies to construct an alternative to conventional understandings of the Iliad’s politics. The Poetics of Consent reveals the ways in which consensus and collective decision making determined the authoritative account of the Trojan War that we know as the Iliad.

More books from Johns Hopkins University Press

Cover of the book Days of Slaughter by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Monstrous Motherhood by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Transforming Students by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book The Leatherback Turtle by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Invisible Sovereign by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Political Philosophy and the God of Abraham by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book The Antibiotic Era by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Switching Sides by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Porcupines by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Sandlot Stats by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Information at Sea by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book The Ruin of J. Robert Oppenheimer by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book Soldiering for Freedom by David F. Elmer
Cover of the book The 36-Hour Day by David F. Elmer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy