Greek Lyric: An Anthology in Translation (Hackett Classics)

An interesting wide ranging selection of poems of the classical lyric poets. Natural sounding, very readable translations with copious helpful notes.

This specific edition was assigned for my graduate department's reading list examination. It offers a very thorough overview of Greek lyric poetry from its rise during the 7th century BCE to its decline in the early 5th century following the popularization of other poetic forms such as tragedy and comedy. As such all the major lyric poets (including the canonical Lyric Nine) are anthologized here in chronological order, from Archilochus to Sappho to Pindar, and the book focuses on the most complete surviving works of these poems. For example, only one of Sappho's poems survives wholly intact while her other poems range from only one or two words to several lines in completeness. Aside from a general introduction, Miller begins every section with a brief biography of the poet and in addition offers helpful notes for the poems. Augmenting this is a glossary in the back of the book detailing the various figures addressed or alluded to in the poems. In closing this book, or any translation, can never compare to reading the poems in their original Greek, but this is an essential anthology in translation for the budding classicist or for anyone particularly interested in Greek poetry.

I wanted to read Greek lyric poetry in English as I'd heard so much about it. I didn't want to use the Loebs as the text is rendered in prose, and was almost put off altogether by the fact that what remains of the genre is so fragmentary.However, I decided to take the plunge and purchase Andrew Miller's book based on other reviews. I am so glad I did. The poems themselves are beautiful, and the notes are EXTREMELY helpful, especially when it comes to tougher poets like Pindar.You will not be disappointed.

This was one of the books on my exam list in school, and I find it to be one of the best English translations of selections of lyric poetry that I have ever read. The book is organized chronologically, with a brief introduction to each author and his/her style of composition, and includes choral as well as the shorter works of authors like Sappho. He includes a wide variety of works by Pindar so that the reader can get a good sense of the scale of Pindar’s work. The most famous odes, such as the Olympian and the Pythian are included in this volume. I always found poetry much harder to read than prose, when reading the works in the original Latin or Greek. My opinion is that Miller’s translations are clear and logically follow the sense of the original Greek much better than the Loebs. Miller includes many notes and a glossary for those who have a limited background in Greek myth, and comments on papyri finds within the last 50 years, which have added to the corpus and knowledge of these poets and the genre.

This book translates these early Greek poems with helpful footnotes, a glossary of terms and explains the known background of the poets. It is a complete anthology of these lyric poets which is very enjoyable to read especially if you like Greek myth.

This translation is very passive and uninspiring. It misses the spirit of original works. Anthony Verity's work is far superior.

This book was assigned reading for a college survey course, and Miller's translations so haunted me that I reread them for a decade before finally deciding I needed to experience the poems directly and began learning to read Greek.Now that I have a little of the language myself I can add my small voice to the chorus of praise. Millers' translations are readable, hew close to the original texts, and capture much of the beauty of the ancient poets.

This review relates to the volume -Greek Lyric: AnAnthology in Translation-, Translated with an Introductionand Notes by Andrew M. Miller, ISBN: 0872202917, HackettPublishing Company,1996. 258 pp.) Though many of these lyrics and fragments have beenpublished in other editions, by other translators --and each has its glories -- this edition is very wellformatted, pleasing, and very accessible to the eye andmind. Each poet is preceded by a short piece ofbackground, then the poems are numbered, spaced, andlisted (with interspersed, but unobtrusive notes inthe text). The scope and purpose of the volume is stated byMiller in his "Preface": "This anthology of translationsis drawn from the little that remains of the lyric poetryin the Greek world during the seventh, sixth, and fifthcenturies B.C. Following ample precedent, it includesnot only monody and choral lyric but also short poemsand fragments in the elegiac and iambic meters, eventhough the latter do not fit the etymological definitionof lyric as -- 'poetry composed to be sung to the lyre.'" The poets included in this volume are: Archilochus,Tyrtaeus, Callinus, Semonides, Mimnermus, Alcman, Alcaeus,Sappho, Solon, Stesichorus, Theognis, Ibycus, Anacreon,Hipponax, Xenophanes, Simonides, Corinna, Pindar, andBacchylides. Since the poems still remaining by Pindarand Bacchylides are more numerous than those of many ofthe other poets, Miller says that his selection foreach of the two latter poets has been made with anattempt to choose examples which best show "varietyof scale and treatment." For Pindar, the selection is:Olympian 1, 2, 12, 13, and 14; Pythian 1, 3, 8, and10; Nemean 5, 10; Isthmian 5, 6, and 7; Paean 4,Dithyramb 2, Partheneion 2, Enkomions for Theoxenos,Thrasyboulos, and Xenophon, and Threnos 7. ForBacchylides, the selection is: Odes 2, 3, 5, 6, 11,13; Dithyrambs 17, 18; and an Enkomion for Alexandros.As example of Miller's translations, here is anexcerpt from Bacchylides' Dithyramb 18: "Theseus":He is a boy, on manhood's very verge;the sports of Ares are what his mind is fixed on, warand battle with brazen din; and what he seeks is splendor-lovingAthens. -- Robert Kilgore.