Originally published in 1935, this book provides a study of the powerful influence exercised by Ancient Greek culture on German writers from the eighteenth century onwards. The text takes as its starting point Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–68), who was of fundamental importance to the introduction of Hellenistic ideas within the German intellectual tradition. This is followed by a chronological discussion of other key figures, such as Goethe, Schiller and Heine, revealing the complicated relationship between these ideas and the expression of an explicitly Germanic identity. A detailed index and bibliography are also included, together with illustrative figures. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in German literature, Ancient Greece and literary criticism.
Author(s): Eliza Marian Butler
Edition: Reissue
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2012
Language: English
Commentary: cleaned & OCR
Pages: 366
CHAPTER I
GENERAL SURVEY 1
CHAPTER II
Tue DiscovERER: WINCKELMANN (1717-1768) 9
1. A Latter-day Greek 11
2. Rome 18
3. Eros 28
4. Destiny 34
5. The Myth of Laocoon 43
CHAPTER Ill
THE INTERPRETERS: LEssinG (1729-1781) AND
HERDER (1744~-1803) 49
1. Lessing into the Lists 51
2. Laocoon again 56
3. Herder echoes ‘Laocoon’ 71
4. The Invasion 80
CHAPTER IV
THE CREATOR: GOETHE (1749-1832) 83
1. Prometheus 85
2. Iphigenia 93
3. Italy 105
4. Winckelmann’s Rome 116
5. The Homerid 121
6. Helena 135
7. The Daimon 146
CHAPTER V
THE ANTAGONIST: SCHILLER (1759-1805) 155
A Colossus manqué
> 157
The Drama of Youth 159
ON The Gods of Greece 164
Avaunt! 173
AF Fate 188
CHAPTER VI
THe Martyr: HOLDERLIN (1770-1843) 201
1. Icarus 203
© tO om
Hoh
Obsession 207
Diotima 217
The pale Galilean 225
Scardanelli 234
CHAPTER VII
THE REBEL: HEINE (1797-1856) 241
Lucifer 243
AreNS =
The Gods as Ghosts 250
The Gods as Devils 264
The Gods in Exile 289
Evoe, Bacche! 299
CHAPTER VIII
THe AFTERMATH 301
1. Winckelmann redivivus: MHeinrich Schlie-
mann (1822-1890) 303
The Dionysiac: Friedrich Nietzsche (1844—1900) 307
The Mythologist: Carl Spitteler (1845-1924) 316
PB we
The Mystagogue: Stefan George (1868-1933) 322
Conclusion 332
