London, 1985) offers texts and translations of many poems and stimulating though sometimes
speculative discussion. Useful, but very dated, literary discussion can be found in CM. Bowra, Early
Greek Elegists (Cambridge, Mass., 1935); id., Greek Lyric Poetry2 (Oxford, 1961); G. M. Kirkwood,
Early Greek Monody (Cornell, 1974); H. Frankel, Early Greek Poetry and Philosophy (Oxford, 1975);
and for a more recent conspectus see A.J. Podlecki, The Early Greek Poets and their Themes
(Vancouver, 1984). Fundamental points of text, language, genre, and interpretation of the elegiac and
iambic poets are discussed by M. L. West, Studies in Greek Elegy and Iambus (Berlin, 1974). The most
interesting assessment in English of Archilochus is that of A. P. Burnett, Three Archaic poets.
Archilochus, Alcaeus and Sappho (London, 1983). For the Lesbians D.L. Page's Sappho and Alcaeus
(Oxford, 1955) remains fundamental, but valuable perspectives can be obtained from Burnett, op. cit.,
and from the essay by R. H. A. Jenkyns in Three Classical Poets (London, 1982; also paperback). For
epigrams see the commentary by D. L. Page in Further Greek Epigrams (Cambridge, 1981), esp. pp. 186
- 302 (on Simonides and Simonidea)
Pindar is much better served. The best text is the Teubner, edd. B. Snell and H. Maehler, 2 vols. (1971-
5); OCT2 (1947) by CM. Bowra. Text with facing English translation in Loeb Classical Library, 2nd
edn., ed. J. E. Sandys (Cambridge, Mass./London, 1919). Commentaries on Olympian and Pythian Odes
by B. L. Gildersleevc (New York, 1890); on Isthmians by J.B. Bury (London, 1892); on all (with transl.)
by L. R. Farnell, 3 vols. (London, 1930-2). Fundamental work for understanding the genre by E. L.
Bundy, Studia Pindarica i-ii (Berkeley, 1962 repr. Berkeley/Los Angeles, 1987, paperback); carried
further by D. C. Young in Three Odes of Pindar. Mnemosyne Suppl. 9 (Leiden, 1968). A useful
introduction to the epinician genre in M.R. Lefkowitz, The Victory Ode (Park Ridge, NJ, 1976) and H.
Lloyd-Jones, 'Modern Interpretation of Pindar', in Journ. Hell. Stud, xciii (1973), 109-37. CM. Bowra,
Pindar (Oxford, 1964) is still usable with caution. D. S. Carne-Ross, Pindar (New Haven, 1985) offers a
good short introduction. English translation by F.J. Nisetich (Baltimore, 1980).
- Early Greek Philosophy (By Martin West)
The best introduction is E. Hussey, The Presocratics (London, 1972); while assuming no knowledge of
Greek, it maintains close contact with the primary sources. A. Wedberg, A History of Philosophy, I
Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Oxford, 1982), is very concise but lucid and well judged. G. S. Kirk and
J. E. Raven, The Presocratic Philosophers (2nd edn. with M. Schofield, Cambridge, 1983), give a good
selection of texts with translations and critical discussion. Translations are also available in J. Burnet,
Early Greek Philosophy (4th edn, London, 1930) and in Kathleen Freeman's Ancilla to the Presocratic
Philosophers (Oxford, 1948).
On an ampler scale are W.K.C. Guthrie, A History of Greek Philosophy (Cambridge, 1962-81; the first
three of the six volumes cover the pre-Platonic period), and J. Barnes, The Presocratic Philosophers
(London, 1979, 2 vols.). Guthrie is comprehensive and safe; Barnes is dense and dazzling, concentrating
on philosophical interpretation.