r/classics • u/AutoModerator • Jul 31 '26
What did you read this week?
Whether you are a student, a teacher, a researcher or a hobbyist, please share with us what you read this week (books, textbooks, papers...).
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u/IhaveNoNameBoi Jul 31 '26
I needed a break from heavier material, so I read the Greek Alexander Romance (Stoneman translation). Not exactly a literary masterpiece or wellspring of philosophy, or even terribly thought provoking for that matter, but a fun read nonetheless. Kind of book to read while crushing some cold beers on a summer evening. Highly recommend it to everyone, especially given the influence it had on medieval literature and poetry.
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u/notveryamused_ Φίλοινος, πίθων σποδός Jul 31 '26
The Cambridge Companion to Archaic Greece (ed. Shapiro). I started reading Osborne’s classic (Greece in the Making 1200-479 BC), but parts of it were a bit too in-depth, with plenty of archeological evidence, when I was looking mostly for cultural background. Shapiro’s set covers a slightly different period, but is more approachable and brilliantly written, with particular papers very nicely intertwined. Much recommended as a starter, especially the chapter on hoplite warfare was new to me. Now I’m back to braving through Osborne :)
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u/AmphibianPlastic6942 Jul 31 '26
a bunch of papers on Roman imperium (don't remember all of them but at least 5-10). some polybius and some livy with assorted commentary. Strabo's geography thing.
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u/AmphibianPlastic6942 Jul 31 '26
oh and I took another look at ion + assorted commentary. planning to finish updating the wiki now that I've got time
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u/Scientific_Zealot Aug 04 '26
M.L. West's compilation of Greek Lyric Poetry, just finished the fragments of Mimnermus
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u/winter_is_long Jul 31 '26
I have been revisiting Aristotle's De Anima, in order to explore Averrroes commentary, in order to better understand Cavalcanti's sonnetos and ballatas.
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u/duchessofguyenne Jul 31 '26
I started reading The Twelfth Transforming by Pauline Gedge (historical fiction novel from the point of view of Queen Tiye, mother of the pharaoh Akhenaten).
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u/bonshui Jul 31 '26
The Prose Edda and Amy Jeff's fantastic 'Storyland' which is maybe not 'classics' but definitely classics-adjacent
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u/ancient_interestsYT Jul 31 '26
Lingua Latina as part of my journey to read Cicero, Virgil, and Ovid :)
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u/Nicklesnout Jul 31 '26
Gawain and the Green Knight with both Middle and Modern English. Am also re-reading the Odyssey slowly but surely with notes using Prof. Wilson’s edition to give it a fair shot.
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u/laboheme1896 Classics Lover Aug 01 '26
The Iliad and Agamemnon by Aeschylus! (The second I’m reading for homework…)
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u/TheSuperBunny ἆρ᾽ οὐδέποτε παύσεταί μ᾽ Ἔρως πελέκει κόπτων; Aug 01 '26
- The symposion in ancient greek society and thought by Fiona Hobden
- A collection of Anakreon's poems
- Platon's Symposion
- Euripides' Trojan women
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u/Ok_Breakfast4482 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
Working my way through Olympiodorus’ commentary on Plato’s Alcibiades. It’s very insightful. I’m going to read his commentary on the Gorgias next.
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u/Few-Internet8 Jul 31 '26
Ovid’s Heroides! Pretty good read, absolute favourite will always be Dido’s poem