Vergil''s Green Thoughts - Plants, Humans, and the Divine

Vergil's poetry abounds with plant-life, yet much criticism underestimates its significance beyond attractive background detail or the occasional symbolic set-piece. This in-depth study reveals how Vergil used plants to reflect both on ancient religious attitudes to the natural world and on ideas of the human role as cultivator and controller.

About the author

Rebecca Armstrong is Associate Professor in Classical Languages and Literature at the Faculty of Classics of the University of Oxford, and Mary Bennett Fellow and Tutor in Classics at St Hilda's College. She grew up in rural north Devon before coming to Oxford to study, and took up her current posts in 2004. She now lives in rural north Oxfordshire.

Summary

Vergil's poetry abounds with plant-life, yet much criticism underestimates its significance beyond attractive background detail or the occasional symbolic set-piece. This in-depth study reveals how Vergil used plants to reflect both on ancient religious attitudes to the natural world and on ideas of the human role as cultivator and controller.

Additional text

... Vergil's Green Thoughts will be valuable for scholars interested in the many ways of thinking about plants and their significance in Vergil, and about the botanical connections among his three works.

Product details

• Authors: Rebecca Armstrong, Rebecca (Mary Bennett Fellow and Tutor Armstrong, Armstrong Rebecca
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.07.2019
• EAN: 9780199236688
• ISBN: 978-0-19-923668-8
• No. of pages: 342
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Classical linguistics / literary studies; Latin, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, Literature - Classics / Criticism, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, BCE to c 500 CE, BCE period – Protohistory