Wright marshals a mass of references from the best part of a thousand years about a strong tragic tradition which lasted well into the Hellenistic period before declining from Greek into Latin. Numerous lost playwrights are identified, traced as far as maybe with a diligence that is admirable, even formidable.
Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics
... Read moreWhat we have here is a very useful vade mecum to the legion of the lost dramatists and their pitiful remnants ... Recommended.
Classics for All Reviews
A unique and fascinating study of scores of dramatists whom time has treated badly, demonstrating that there is much more to Greek tragedy than Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. With its promised sequel, it will also enable us to see these three in a new light and against a far richer background.
Alan Sommerstein, Emeritus Professor of Greek, University of Nottingham, UK In this extraordinary study, Matthew Wright has shone a brilliant light into a neglected corner of literary history, revealing the marvellously varied and surprising nature of Greek tragedy. With meticulous research and exemplary clarity, he presents a masterful survey of evidence from over eighty Greek tragic poets whose works survive only in fragments and demonstrates beyond any doubt that many of our assumptions about Greek tragedy have been formed through the blindfold of a small number of surviving texts. This book will be indispensable for anyone interested in literature, drama, and theatre history.
Isabelle Torrance, Associate Professor of Classics, University of Notre Dame, USA This book is indispensable for the serious student of ancient Greek tragedy. Classicist often bemoan how few plays by still fewer tragedians survive, yet for too long we've largely ignored the precious fragmentary evidence for other plays by other poets. This book will change that. With lucid and expert essays, commentaries and chronologies, Matthew Wright opens up a whole new world of ancient Greek tragedy to the student and expert alike.
Johanna Hanink, Associate Professor of Classics, Brown University, USA Show Less