French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Hurst, Dans l'atelier de Pindare
Poetry and Poetics

André HURST

Dans l'atelier de Pindare

Droz, "Recherches et Rencontres" series

EAN: 9782600060103 — Publication date: 27/02/2020 — 192 p.

Pindar, one of the most admired poets of his time (5th century BCE), was revered throughout antiquity. Subsequently, his work met with varying fortunes: much of it has been lost (only fragments remain), but his poems celebrating victors at the games of Greece's sanctuaries (the "epinicians") were continuously copied, confirming the high esteem in which they were held. Idolized by the Pléiade poets in the 16th century, sometimes ridiculed in the 17th century and even by Voltaire, Pindar was admired by Hölderlin, Valéry, Saint-John Perse... His poetry takes the form of cantatas that were danced or accompanied by dancing. It is renowned for its difficulty, which stems in particular from its sublime tone ("man is the dream of a shadow"...).

This book is a collection of studies published over more than forty years, since Pindar has always remained at the heart of the scholarly interests of André Hurst, professor and former rector of the University of Geneva. They are accompanied by a foreword and four indexes. The author has sought to shed light on the "crafting" of Pindaric epinicians, and even to investigate the strategies underlying them. An attempt to enter Pindar's "workshop".

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

PART ONE
On Specific Poems

Chapter I. Hote melissa (Ὥτε μέλισσα): On Two Poems of the Young Pindar (P. 10; O. 14)
Chapter II. Observations on Pindar's Second Olympian
Chapter III. Homer in Pindar: The "Paradise" of the Second Olympian
Chapter IV. Narrative Time in Pindar (Pyth. 4) and Bacchylides (11)
Chapter V. "Der Dichter spricht": Pindar Between the Lines in the Fourth Pythian Ode

PART TWO
On Transverse Themes

Chapter VI. Aspects of Time in Pindar
Chapter VII. Strategies for Thebes in Pindar

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Index of Authors and Works

Index of Proper Names

Index of Toponyms

Index of Subjects

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Pindar remains one of the most complex figures of ancient Greek lyric poetry. Writing in the fifth century BCE, he composed choral odes, or epinicians, to celebrate athletic victors at pan-Hellenic sanctuaries like Olympia and Delphi. Known for their sublime tone, dense mythical narratives, and structural difficulty, these works have challenged readers for centuries, inspiring French Renaissance poets of the Pléiade as well as modern writers like Paul Valéry. André Hurst's volume situates Pindar's complex style within its historical and performative context, examining how these sung cantatas functioned as both art and social strategy.

By gathering over forty years of scholarship, this book offers a deep exploration of the poet's creative workshop. Hurst analyzes specific compositions, such as the Olympian and Pythian odes, to reveal the underlying mechanics of Pindar's verse. The essays address crucial thematic questions, including Pindar's manipulation of narrative time, his dialogue with the epic tradition of Homer, and his political strategies concerning cities like Thebes. This scholarly collection is an invaluable resource for classicists, literary historians, and anyone interested in the evolution of European poetics and the enduring legacy of classical antiquity.

See the book & its press reviews on the publisher's website…