| Allegories of Farming from Greece and Rome Contributor(s): Kronenberg, Leah (Author) |
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ISBN: 0521517265 ISBN-13: 9780521517263 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $114.95 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2009 Annotation: Shows that, instead of just being works on farming, these texts in fact belong to a tradition of philosophical satire. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Philosophy | History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical - Literary Collections | Ancient, Classical & Medieval |
| Dewey: 881.01 |
| LCCN: 2008055930 |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.2" W x 9" (1.15 lbs) 236 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In this book Professor Kronenberg shows that Xenophon's Oeconomicus, Varro's De Re Rustica and Virgil's Georgics are not simply works on farming but belong to a tradition of philosophical satire which uses allegory and irony to question the meaning of morality. These works metaphorically connect farming and its related arts to political life; but instead of presenting farming in its traditional guise as a positive symbol, they use it to model the deficiencies of the active life, which in turn is juxtaposed to a preferred contemplative way of life. Although these three texts are not usually treated together, this book convincingly connects them with an original and provocative interpretation of their allegorical use of farming. It also fills an important gap in our understanding of the literary influences on the Georgics by showing that it is shaped not just by its poetic predecessors but by philosophical dialogue. |
Contributor Bio(s): Kronenberg, Leah: - Leah Kronenberg is Assistant Professor of Classics at Rutgers University. |