"Edith Hamilton (1867-1963), famed popularizer of the classics, whose books include Mythology and The Greek Way, introduced millions-literally millions-of general readers and young adults to the myths and culture of the Greco-Roman world. In the middle of the 20th century, she was arguably the...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben

1. Verfasser:	Houseman, Victoria 1969- (VerfasserIn)
Format:	Buch
Sprache:	English
Veröffentlicht:	Princeton, New Jersey ; Oxford Princeton University Press [2023]
Schlagworte:	Hamilton, Edith > 1867-1963 Klassizismus Biografie Hamilton, Edith / 1867-1963 Women classicists / United States / Biography Femmes spécialistes de lettres classiques / États-Unis / Biographies Women classicists United States Biographies
Online-Zugang:	Inhaltsverzeichnis
Zusammenfassung:	"Edith Hamilton (1867-1963), famed popularizer of the classics, whose books include Mythology and The Greek Way, introduced millions-literally millions-of general readers and young adults to the myths and culture of the Greco-Roman world. In the middle of the 20th century, she was arguably the most visible and widely read person on classics and mythology. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College and then a successful teacher and administrator at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Hamilton became well known to the public only when she was in her sixties. Her writings, written with a middle-American audience in mind, were intended to introduce general readers to a world of antiquity previously thought to be only the purview of those with knowledge of ancient languages. Her most successful book, Mythology, remains the most popular book of its kind and, like The Greek Way and The Roman Way, has never gone out of print. Houseman recounts Hamilton's life of ninety-five years, beginning with her childhood introduction to the study of Latin and Greek under her father's tutelage. Houseman explores the intellectual influences upon her, emphasizing in particular the nineteenth-century British thinkers whose work she encountered during her years as a student at Bryn Mawr, including Matthew Arnold and Edward Caird. It also tells the story of the two romantic relationships that shaped her life. The first was with Lucy Martin Donnelly, an English professor whose intellectual and aesthetic tastes made a profound impact upon Hamilton. The second, and more enduring, was with Doris Fielding Reid, with whom Hamilton lived for over forty years and with whom she raised a family composed of Reid's nephews and nieces. The biography also describes Hamilton's friendships with writers such as Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound, as well as with Senator Ralph E. Flanders, who led the movement in the Senate to censure Joseph McCarthy and inspired Hamilton's depiction of Demosthenes in her final book, The Echo of Greece. Houseman also situates Edith Hamilton's writing in relation to contemporary events such as the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, American involvement in the Second World War, the dropping of the atomic bombs, and American foreign policy during the Cold War, among others. She argues that Hamilton's writing and themes were often a response to these events. Even Mythology, intended as a modern version of Bulfinch's Mythology, was partly written during the fascist Italian invasion of Greece and makes many arguments for the special claims of Greece in Western history. Her work has influenced generations of readers as well, and was even said to have been a favorite of Robert Kennedy's, who drew on The Greek Way for inspiration in drafting speeches.
Beschreibung:	Includes bibliographical references and index
Beschreibung:	xxx, 491 Seiten 15 Illustrationen 24,2 cm
ISBN:	9780691236186