Books by Mathieu de Bakker
This is the first full-scale reference grammar of Classical Greek in English in a century. The fi... more This is the first full-scale reference grammar of Classical Greek in English in a century. The first work of its kind to reflect significant advances in linguistics made in recent decades, it provides students, teachers and academics with a comprehensive yet user-friendly treatment. The chapters on phonology and morphology make full use of insights from comparative and historical linguistics to elucidate complex systems of roots, stems and endings. The syntax offers linguistically up-to-date descriptions of such topics as case usage, tense and aspect, voice, subordinate clauses, infinitives and participles. An innovative section on textual coherence treats particles and word order and discusses several sample passages in detail, demonstrating new ways of approaching Greek texts. Throughout the book numerous original examples are provided, all with translations and often with clarifying notes. Clearly laid-out tables, helpful cross-references and full indexes make this essential resource accessible to users of all levels.
Emotions are at the core of much ancient literature, from Achilles’ heartfelt anger in Homer’s Il... more Emotions are at the core of much ancient literature, from Achilles’ heartfelt anger in Homer’s Iliad to the pangs of love of Virgil’s Dido. This volume applies a narratological approach to emotions in a wide range of texts and genres. It seeks to analyze ways in which emotions such as anger, fear, pity, joy, love and sadness are portrayed. Furthermore, using recent insights from affective narratology, it studies ways in which ancient narratives evoke emotions in their readers. The volume is dedicated to Irene de Jong for her groundbreaking research into the narratology of ancient literature.
Speech in Ancient Greek Literature is the fifth volume in the series Studies in Ancient Greek Nar... more Speech in Ancient Greek Literature is the fifth volume in the series Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative. There is hardly any Greek narrative text without speech, which need not surprise in the literature of a culture which loved theatre and also invented the art of rhetoric. This book offers a full discussion of the types of speech, the modes of speech and their effective alternation, and the functions of speech from Homer to Heliodorus, including the Gospels. For the first time speech-introductions and ‘speech in speech’ are discussed across all genres. All chapters also pay attention to moments when characters do not speak.
This volume (in Dutch) contains a collection of articles about the Persian king Xerxes, who invad... more This volume (in Dutch) contains a collection of articles about the Persian king Xerxes, who invaded mainland Greece in 480 BCE and destroyed Athens. Contributions focus on historical and archaeological aspects, literary representation, and aspects of reception.
Articles and chapters by Mathieu de Bakker
In Sine Fine: Studies in honour of Klaus Geus on the Occasion of his Sixtieth Birthday, ed. S.L. Sørensen, Stuttgart (Franz Steiner Verlag): 73-104., 2022
Strabon’s description of the edges of the oikoumenē is to a considerable degree informed by the G... more Strabon’s description of the edges of the oikoumenē is to a considerable degree informed by the Greek ethnographical tradition, but also takes into account that the world itself has become much larger in the wake of Roman conquests, that many places have been pacified and that more knowledge of the world has become available. This leads to a worldview in which typical, traditional elements – often dystopic, sometimes utopian – are redistributed, not exclusively along the lines of distance, but also with geological and climatological parameters in mind, and with pertinent awareness of local differences, which makes the eastern, Indian edge of the world a place that differs from its northern, western, and southern counterparts, and the Caucasus a region of its own, just like the Alps, Apennines and Pyrenees. To describe Strabon’s worldview as a step backward to the old Homeric idea of an Ocean surrounding the continent would fail to do justice to the complex portrait that Strabon paints of an oikoumenē teeming with different tribes and peoples in all directions. His view of the living world as an enclosed space appears to be inspired by philosophical ideas about the division of the earth in latitudinal zones that were combined with the sense of transition to a new, unified period of time and place that had begun with the rise of the Caesars in Rome. This latter sense was certainly not Strabon’s own, but was shared among many members of the (Graeco-)Roman elites at the time. In Strabon’s case, it turned out to be one of the driving factors behind the colossal task that he set himself, and his Geography can therefore justly be described as a product of common sense.
Emotions and Narrative in Ancient Literature and Beyond: Studies in Honour of Irene de Jong, 2022
This introduction briefly sketches ancient and current approaches towards emotions and explains w... more This introduction briefly sketches ancient and current approaches towards emotions and explains why it makes sense to apply narratological analysis to emotions as presented in the narratives of the ancient world. First, the introduction distinguishes between emotions on the level of narrators, focalizers, and characters. Next, it delves into cognitive and affective narratology, opening paths to explore the various ways in which narration may trigger emotion in the narratee, e.g. by immersion, empathy, or simulation.
Emotions and Narrative in Ancient Literature and Beyond: Studies in Honour of Irene de Jong, 2022
Herodotus wrote his work about ‘the events that came about by men’ and set himself the task of in... more Herodotus wrote his work about ‘the events that came about by men’ and set himself the task of investigating their origins and causes. It is therefore no surprise that emotions belong to the core of his work and feature widely throughout the narrative as driving forces behind these events. This paper argues that it is in the description of emotions and their effects that the moral purpose of Herodotus’ project becomes clear, and that Herodotus advocates self-restraint and moderation, virtues typically associated with σωφροσύνη, to an audience that lived through a tumultuous period of the Greek past.
Speech in Ancient Greek Literature. Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative 5, 2022
This introduction defines ‘speech’ in terms of its narratological status, as referring to every o... more This introduction defines ‘speech’ in terms of its narratological status, as referring to every occasion in a narrative where a narrator (normally, but not exclusively, via a verb of speaking) indicates that a character speaks (or writes) any kind of discourse addressed to another character in that narrative (the addressee). It explores speech in ancient literary theory, modes of speech (direct and indirect discourse, records of speech act), speech in relation to the narrative's speed, speech as a means of characterization, speech in relation to the plot, and the absence of speech (silence).
Speech in Ancient Greek Literature. Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative 5, 2022
This chapter gives an overview of Herodotus' use of speech in the Histories, arguing that althoug... more This chapter gives an overview of Herodotus' use of speech in the Histories, arguing that although he was indebted to Homer for the device itself, he looked for innovative ways to use it as a tool to characterize historical individuals and thereby explain the course of history.
Speech in Ancient Greek Literature. Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative 5, 2022
This chapter discusses the use of speech in the orations of Demosthenes and Aeschines and argues ... more This chapter discusses the use of speech in the orations of Demosthenes and Aeschines and argues that both orators use innovative and creative ways in presenting speeches (e.g. imaginary dialogues) in their narratives and arguments so as to engage their audience as much as possible. Some possible instances of Free Indirect Speech are discussed, as well as non-verbal communication and silence.
Speech in Ancient Greek Literature. Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative 5, 2022
This epilogue wraps up the volume of speech in ancient greek literature. It gives an overview of ... more This epilogue wraps up the volume of speech in ancient greek literature. It gives an overview of the wide variety of speech use and portrays the most important developments in various genres (e.g. the increasing use of the public oration in ancient historiography). It also highlights 'speech in speech', the use of brief speeches within longer speeches that are embedded in ancient Greek narrative.
Pharos, 2019
This contribution relates to the reception of Herodotus in late-Byzantine historiography at the t... more This contribution relates to the reception of Herodotus in late-Byzantine historiography at the time of the fall of Constantinople (1453). It focuses upon Laonicus Chalcocondyles (1423-1465?) and his account of the final years of the Despotate of the Morea (the medieval and early modern name for the Peloponnese) in the later books of his Demonstrations of Histories. Laonicus' narrative contains significant allusions to Herodotus and other ancient authors, which indicate that he sought to explain the events in a classicising, hellenising manner that was at odds with contemporary Christian eschatology. Laonicus' specific outlook on the past should be borne in mind by those who study the history of these pivotal events.
After the Crisis. Remembrance, Reanchoring and Recovery in Ancient Greece and Rome, eds. J. Klooster and I.N.I. Kuin, 2020
This chapter concerns Agrippa's contribution to the debate with Maecanas and Octavian about the f... more This chapter concerns Agrippa's contribution to the debate with Maecanas and Octavian about the future Roman Constitution (Cassius Dio 52.1-41). Agrippa recommends Octavian to restore the republic in terminology familiar from the Greek historiographical tradition. A problem with this speech concerns the incompatibility that is felt between speaker and content. Why would Agrippa, who operates throughout as Octavian's most loyal supporter, recommend him to lay down power and restore the republic? An answer is found in Cassius Dio's sensitivity to the power dynamics of the early Roman Empire. The context of the debate reveals that Agrippa's position as a powerful admiral may be felt as a threat to the interests of Octavian. Dio shows his awareness of Agrippa's position by couching his support of Octavian's intentions in words of a theoretical, generalizing nature, which seek to admonish their addressees in oblique ways, and are far removed from the concrete political situation in Rome and the Empire. The use of this kind of rhetoric as a strategy to avert crisis must have been familiar to Dio himself, who appears to have aspired to a position of adiutor imperii, too.
In Textual Strategies in Ancient War Narrative: Thermopylae, Cannae and Beyond, eds. L. van Gils, I.J.F. de Jong, C.K. Kroon, 2019
This article compares Herodotus' account of the battle of Thermopylae with that of Diodorus Sicul... more This article compares Herodotus' account of the battle of Thermopylae with that of Diodorus Siculus (1st c. BCE) by way of a narratological analysis. It argues that Herodotus' version revises earlier, encomiastic versions of the battle. Diodorus' version has its roots in a 4th century version that responded, in turn, to Herodotus, and sought to re-establish a more heroic, Panhellenic account.
Textual Strategies in Ancient War Narrative: Thermopylae, Cannae and Beyond, eds. L. van Gils, I.J.F. de Jong, C.K. Kroon, 2019
This article argues that Livy has prompted his audience to read his narrative of the Roman defeat... more This article argues that Livy has prompted his audience to read his narrative of the Roman defeat at Cannae in the light of the Greek tradition on Thermopylae. At a few points, explicit allusions can be found, in particular the last words of Aemilius Paulus, which echo Simonides' epigram for the Spartans as it is known from Herodotus and the Anthology.
Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative IV: Characterization in Ancient Greek Literature, eds. K. de Temmerman & E. van Emde Boas, 2018
This chapter gives an overview of Herodotus' main techniques in characterizing the historical ind... more This chapter gives an overview of Herodotus' main techniques in characterizing the historical individuals whom he presents in the Histories. Posing as an empirical observer of past events, he gives the impression of assessing his characters with a steady hand according to their deeds and words, but in fact takes literary liberties in characterizing individuals so that they contribute to his important themes, such as his stance against one-man rule and opposition to internecine fighting among the Greeks. For the same purpose, he invites the narratee to reflect upon similarities and differences between characters by staging them together within the same or a similar scene, or by deriving aspects of their characterization from sources outside the Histories. Aided by these techniques, Herodotus creates a wide cast of divergent characters, in whom he highlights the full complexity of human behaviour. He shows that the free Greek world is in many ways not much different from the courts of kings and tyrants, and that both settings abound in intrigue, manipulation and hostility. Finally, he draws attention to his own Protean struggle in gathering and evaluating the wealth of traditions that informed his unique work.
Studies in Ancient Greek Narrative IV: Characterizationin Ancient Greek Literature, eds. K. de Temmerman & E. van Emde Boas, 2018
Lysias consistently characterizes the individuals who feature in his speeches, preferring clarity... more Lysias consistently characterizes the individuals who feature in his speeches, preferring clarity to complication, and describing the individuals involved in his cases by making use of clearly understandable moral categories. In the course of the speeches he keeps repeating the qualifications mentioned in the exordia, and inserts more specific characteristics step by step. Lysias also uses contrastive characterization to highlight particular traits of his client and his opponent. His transparent, contrastive schemes of characterization can be explained in view of his audience, which could be any Athenian citizen from any background and tribe, and may not have had much education. Too much complexity should therefore be avoided or at least not stand in the way of a straightforward understanding of the main incidents of the case as well as the characters of those involved. Given the decisive nature of verdicts in lawsuits, and the specific, performative demands of their setting in court, this clarity was of utmost importance, together with a consistent emphasis upon the interests of the democratic community on whose behalf the jurymen cast their votes. In this light it remains questionable to what extent Lysias, either in substance or style, attempted to characterize individuals beyond what was needed in the case. It appears that the demands of the Athenian jury system were overriding in composing his speeches.
Oxford Handbook of Thucydides, eds. R. Balot, E. Foster and S. Forsdyke, 2017
Authorial comments are one of the most persuasive means by which Thucydides guides his readers in... more Authorial comments are one of the most persuasive means by which Thucydides guides his readers in the interpretation of his work. Despite their scarcity they are interconnected and also tie in with the narrative sections, the descriptive catalogues, the speeches, and the longer authorial essays.
Thucydides' authorial comments may serve programmatic ends, and point the reader to themes that should be taken into account in the evaluation of what follows. But they are also inserted as asides, dealing with topics that Thucydides has sacrificed in favour of his greater goal of describing the war, but still wants to mention for thematic purposes (e.g. observations on Greek myth). Comments that round off episodes usually mark their extraordinary character, and bear witness to Thucydides’ claim of the war’s unparalleled magnitude. In sum, Authorial comments belong to the argumentative register of the historian and thereby determine the interpretation of the narrated events they accompany. Their presence sustains Thucydides’ monumental rhetorical enterprise, with its dense pages of gripping narrative and the elevated language of its speeches.
Fame and Infamy? Essays for Christopher Pelling on Characterization in Greek and Roman Biography and History, eds. R. Ash, J. Mossman and F.B. Titchener, 2015
Within the Histories Herodotus qualifies some characters and/or their actions as 'agathos' and ot... more Within the Histories Herodotus qualifies some characters and/or their actions as 'agathos' and others as 'khrestos'. Translations and commentaries do not pay attention to the semantic difference between these adjectives. Herodotus never however uses both adjectives together to qualify one and the same person or action (unlike combinations with 'kalos'). This seems to indicate that their semantics were divergent to such a degree that the adjectives excluded one another. This paper argues that whereas many characters in the Histories may apply for the 'khrestos'-status, only a few are worth being called 'agathos'. The latter category excludes monarchs and tyrants, whose wealth and power forces them to compromise on the qualities that make an individual 'agathos' and adopt more utilitarian ways to meet their objectives.
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Books by Mathieu de Bakker
Articles and chapters by Mathieu de Bakker
Thucydides' authorial comments may serve programmatic ends, and point the reader to themes that should be taken into account in the evaluation of what follows. But they are also inserted as asides, dealing with topics that Thucydides has sacrificed in favour of his greater goal of describing the war, but still wants to mention for thematic purposes (e.g. observations on Greek myth). Comments that round off episodes usually mark their extraordinary character, and bear witness to Thucydides’ claim of the war’s unparalleled magnitude. In sum, Authorial comments belong to the argumentative register of the historian and thereby determine the interpretation of the narrated events they accompany. Their presence sustains Thucydides’ monumental rhetorical enterprise, with its dense pages of gripping narrative and the elevated language of its speeches.
Thucydides' authorial comments may serve programmatic ends, and point the reader to themes that should be taken into account in the evaluation of what follows. But they are also inserted as asides, dealing with topics that Thucydides has sacrificed in favour of his greater goal of describing the war, but still wants to mention for thematic purposes (e.g. observations on Greek myth). Comments that round off episodes usually mark their extraordinary character, and bear witness to Thucydides’ claim of the war’s unparalleled magnitude. In sum, Authorial comments belong to the argumentative register of the historian and thereby determine the interpretation of the narrated events they accompany. Their presence sustains Thucydides’ monumental rhetorical enterprise, with its dense pages of gripping narrative and the elevated language of its speeches.