Research Guides: CSTS 218: Animals and Androids in Greek and Latin Literature (HC): Primary Sources

Source Anthologies

Collections of primary texts in anthologies can be good for browsing. They touch on many different issues, often excerpting brief passages from full works that you can find in the tricolleges or through interlibrary loan.

The primary source collections below relate to the history of sexuality in ancient Greece. You can find more primary source collections in the tricolleges by searching for sources and Greek culture as in these examples:

Title contains (source* OR anthology) AND Subject contains (greece OR greek)

Limited to English Language and Publication Years = 1980-2019

Results for

Animals in Greek and Roman Thought by Stephen Newmyer Staff; Stephen T. Newmyer
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ISBN: 9780415773348
Publication Date: 2010-12-21
This book brings together new translations of classical passages which contributed to ancient debate on the nature of animals and their relationship to human beings. The selections chosen come primarily from philosophical and natural historical works, as well as religious, poetic and biographical works.
The copy at Swarthmore is currently missing. Please request this through EZ Borrow.
Animals in the Classical World by Alastair Harden
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ISBN: 9780230276611
Publication Date: 2013-09-27
This sourcebook presents nearly 200 specially-translated Greek and Roman texts from Homer to Plutarch, revealing the place of the animal in the moral consciousness of the Classical era. Philosophical, historical, dramatic and poetic texts explore how animals were regarded.
Dragons, Serpents, and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds by Daniel Ogden
ISBN: 9780199925094
Publication Date: 2013-05-20
This sourcebook presents a collection of dragon myths from Greek, Roman, and early Christian sources. It includes both familiar figures like the Hydra as well as the Dragon of Thespiae and the lamias of Libya. All texts are offered in new translations and accompanied by commentaries.
Gods and Mortals: Modern Poems on Classical Myths by Nina Kossman (Editor)
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ISBN: 0195133412
Publication Date: 2001-03-22
The mythic world of the ancients is a living presence in 21st century culture, inspiring writers, artists, and musicians. This anthology assembles some of the best poems inspired by ancient myths, organizing them by theme. Poets include D. H. Lawrence, Derek Walcott, Rita Dove, Denise Levertov, Rilke, Pound, and Yeats.

Translations

Tripod often lists a translation under the author's name + translations into _____:

The Oxford Bibliography Online essays on Aristophanes and Sappho recommend a number of translations including these:

"Apart from the texts with facing translations (the editions by Henderson [Aristophanes 1998–2008; see Texts and Commentaries: General], and Sommerstein [Aristophanes 1980–2001; see Texts and Commentaries: Individual Plays]), there are several good versions available, with differing degrees of fidelity to the originals, colloquial verve, and performability. Barrett (Aristophanes 1964) and Barrett and Sommerstein (Aristophanes 2003) are reliable and entertaining versions. Halliwell’s (Aristophanes 1997) verse translation is particularly to be recommended for accuracy; Slavitt and Bovie (Aristophanes 1998a) are much more free and wild and have alarmed some scholars, but they are fun." OBO Aristophanes - Translations

"Older, attractive literary translations are by Barnard (Sappho 1958); a number of Barnard’s poetic renderings attempt to “reconstruct” the plot of the poems. Campbell 1982 provides literal and accurate translations; Campbell’s background and aims are mainly philological. Lombardo’s (Sappho2002b) is a literary translation, but not always reliable and one that hardly captures the brilliance of the original texts. Chandler (Sappho 1998) provides a more lucid literary (but not always accurate) translation. Barnstone’s (Sappho 2006) is a readable, balanced translation. Carson (Sappho 2002a) provides lucid translations. Powell’s (Sappho 2007) is a readable translation, but occasionally inaccurate. West 1993, the most widely available translation, includes the longer fragments of Sappho. West’s outstanding scholarly background is both philological and interdisciplinary; note that this translation reflects many of his textual reconstructions." OBO Sappho - English Translations

Visual Sources

ARTstor
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A digital library that provides access to thousands of digital images derived from a variety of museum, library and archival collections. Images support a variety of disciplines including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design. Coverage varies.

British Museum Collection Online
Search over 3 million objects in the museum's collections. Use the Advanced Search option, identify a time range or place and add a relevant keyword.
Sample Advanced Search: bird* with Dates 600-300 BC and Country Greece.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection Search
Explore art at the Metropolitan through this search page. Entering bird* limited by Roman Empire results in paintings, bowls, and lamps depicting birds.
Pottery Database
The Beazley Archive at the University of Oxford maintains this extensive database (over 130, 000 images) on ancient Greek vases. It is searchable by theme, type of vase, inscription, painter, technique (e.g., white ground), and collection.
The Beazley Archive's Classical Art Research Centre has many other resources included the digitized Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum and a merged database that draws on 22 separate files including the Pottery Database.

The Centaur's Smile by J. Michael Padgett; William A. P. Childs (Contribution by, Translator); Despoina Tsiafakis (Contribution by)
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ISBN: 0300101635
Publication Date: 2003-09-10
Human animals - such as centaurs, satyrs, sphinxes, sirens and gorgons - as well as other composite creatures like Pan, Triton and the Minotaur are extremely common in Greek myth, literature, theater and the visual arts. This is an investigation of the representations of these human animals in early Greek art (circa 850-450 BC).