Singing the Dead A Model for Epic Evolution

«Reyes Bertolín Cebrián presents a persuasive account of the origin of Greek epic with fascinating and far-reaching implications. This erudite study, which draws on an extensive repertoire of historical, archeological, comparative, and theoretical approaches, casts new light on such varied topics as ancient Greek funeral practices, ancestor cult and hero cult, gender and politics performance and genre, and the function of the Muse in epic. This is philology at its best.» (Matthew Clark, York University)
«This sweeping, original study reconstructs the prehistory of early Greek epic and traces its development through the Classical period, with special focus on the relationship between epic and other genres. Performance and ritual are stressed, and from this perspective new insights are gained about the origin and function of verse genres. Narratological and gender issues in particular are addressed in brilliant fashion. This thought-provoking examination, which reaches many counter-intuitive conclusions, is essential reading for anyone interested in early Greek verse.» (Jonathan Burgess, University of Toronto)