The Center for Hellenic Studies

PUBLICATIONS
Primary Sources

Sophocles, Antigone

Translation of R. C. Jebb Revised by Pierre Habel and Gregory Nagy Newly revised by the Hour 25 Antigone Team (Brian Prescott-Decie, Jacqui Donlon, Jessica Eichelburg, Claudia Filos, Sarah Scott) Outside the gates of Thebes. Antigone and Ismene enter. Antigone Ismene, my sister, who came from the same womb as I did, do you know any evil out of all the evils [kaka] bequeathed by Oedipus that Zeus will not… Read more

Primary Sources

Euripides, Medea

Translation by E.P. Coleridge Revised by Roger Ceragioli Further revised by Gregory Nagy Newly revised by the Hour 25 Medea Heroization Team (Jessica Eichelburg, Hélène Emeriaud, Claudia Filos, Janet M. Ozsolak, Sarah Scott, Jack Vaughan) In front of Medea’s house in Corinth. The Nurse comes on stage from the house. Nurse If only the Argo had never sped its course to the Colchian land through the misty… Read more

Primary Sources

Homeric Hymn to Dionysus

Translated by Gregory Nagy 1 About Dionysus son of most glorious Semele 2 my mind will connect, how it was that he made an appearance [phainesthai] by the shore of the barren sea 3 on a prominent headland, looking like a young man 4 at the beginning of adolescence. Beautiful were the locks of hair as they waved in the breeze surrounding him. [5] They were the color of deep… Read more

Primary Sources

Herodotus, Selections, Part II

Herodotus Part 2 (Selections from from Scrolls 1–9) First phase of translation by Lynn Sawlivich Second phase of translation by Gregory Nagy, Claudia Filos, Sarah Scott, and Keith Stone Note: The language of Herodotus in referring to the myths and rituals of the ancient world is exquisitely precise, and we have much to learn from it. Accordingly, the translators have taken special care in tracking key words above and… Read more

Primary Sources

Herodotus, Selections, Part I

Herodotus Part 1 (Selection from Scroll 1) First phase of translation by Lynn Sawlivich Second phase of translation by Gregory Nagy, Claudia Filos, Sarah Scott, and Keith Stone Note: The language of Herodotus in referring to the myths and rituals of the ancient world is exquisitely precise, and we have much to learn from it. Accordingly, the translators have taken special care in tracking key words above and beyond… Read more

Curated Books

Comparative Studies in Greek and Indic Meter

Reversing the generally accepted notions about formula and meter in epic poetry, Gregory Nagy seeks to show that meter is an outgrowth of formula. To make his point he links the Parry-Lord techniques of formulaic analysis with the researches of Meillet, Jakobson, and Watkins on Indo-European metrics. In the process he evolves a new theory about the origins of the Homeric hexameter and offers controversial fresh material for pursuing the problem of… Read more

Curated Articles

Hymnic Elements in Empedocles

[A French-language version of this essay was printed in Revue de Philosophie Ancienne 24 (2006), 51–62. In this online English-language version, the page-breaks in the printed French-language version are indicated within curly brackets “{…|…}”.] The language of Homeric poetry has often been used to help solve problems in interpreting the poetic language of Empedocles. Conversely, the language of Empedocles may at times help solve problems in understanding Homeric poetry. In… Read more