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Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2010.09.21 Lucia Athanassaki, : . (Ch !"# $%!& !'"()%* "(+ ,h%-! ./+-%()% -( 0h% .!)h"-) "(+ 1"!#2 C#"**-)"# $%!- +*3. Herakleio: Panepistemiakes Ekdoseis Kretes, 2009. Pp. 38 . !"#$ 9%89&0 2'2923. (22.00 )p*+.

,e-ie.ed */ Katerina Ladianou, 0ni-ersit/ o1 Patras )kladianou23mail.com+ [Table of Contents is listed at the end of the review.] This welcome addition to the series New approaches to the ancient world published by Crete University Press, illustrates how contemporary methods continue to shed light on ancient te ts. The four chapters that constitute the main body of the boo! are framed by an "ntroduction and Conclusion. The boo! is rounded off by a list of #bbreviations, an e tensive multilingual $ibliography, a %igure Plate and indices of names and ancient sources. "n an e tensive "ntroduction, including a short catalogue of the ma&or choral poets and an #le andrian list of the choral genres, #thanassa!i stresses the importance of performance in the study of choral lyric, a path she pursues throughout the boo!. 'he presents the most up(to(date interpretative !eys for reading choral songs, with ample reference to modern secondary bibliography and ancient authors regarding performance. #fter listing many issues that have troubled scholars )the boundary between monodic and choral performance* the identity of the spea!ing +",* the ritual setting of such performances-, she clearly establishes her own place within past and current scholarship and sets out her research parameters, which include not only actual choral songs but also different genres representing choral performances. "t soon becomes evident that #thanassa!i.s interdisciplinary approach benefits from art, architecture and epigraphic evidence as well the literary evidence. Chapter 1 )The Chorus/ identity and ritual roles- e amines not only the ritual function of the chorus but also the identity and function of the choral persona. Choral odes, as #thanassa!i shows, cannot be interpreted simply as the outcome of genre conventions* one must focus on the relationship between the ode and the conte t of its performance, especially the occasion of its composition, the religious setting of its performance and its ideological agenda. Concerns with the construction of the chorus0 +", permeate this section. "n order to draw conclusions concerning re(performance and re(performability, #thanassa!i focuses on three different categories of chorus representation. #llowing for the fact that the chorus. self references usually point to a collective identity, she treats the first #lcman Partheneion )1C21 P34%- as an e ception since it presents us with a +uni5ue case of individuali6ation of the chorus,. 'he then e plores the possibility that it was re(preformed, and the circumstances of its possible re(performance, and argues that its construction and imagery point to a theatrical reality that would enable this to ta!e place. This valuable point allows us to imagine possible Panhellenic re(performances outside a ritual setting. 7e might, however, e pect #thanassa!i to tac!le #lcman.s ideological agenda, as she does with Pindar and $acchylides in the chapters that follow, especially since this is the only female chorus she discusses.

8 To introduce her second category, the author e amines $acchylides 9de 1: as an e ample of a collective mythical identity, ta!ing the opportunity to discuss the communicative tactics the poet employs to reflect the historical present through the dramati6ation of the past. ;ast but not least, #thanassa!i tac!les the thorny issue of the relationship between the chorus and kmos and provides a satisfying answer/ the kmos is not a realistic representation but a role, and the poet artfully identifies the chorus with the kmos in order to reflect the &oyful festive mood of the group. Chapter 1 ends with a discussion of choral persona and +phasmatic space,, a concept important for #thanassa!i.s discussion. #ccording to her, poets use the choral persona to lead the audience.s imagination away from visible space and into a phasmatic one. This helpful concept allows #thanassa!i to show throughout the boo! that any spatial references can either refer to the space of the original performance and<or suggest an alternative place of re(performance. The second chapter )Performances in shrines, "/ =itual and memory- introduces her discussion on performances in shrines, a topic pursued in chapter > as well. "n a close reading of Olympian 1> and Pythian ?, #thanassa!i attempts to reconstruct the conte t of their original performance. #lthough she refers to the problem of genre, she interprets Pindar.s poetic choices not according to genre categori6ation but in view of the first performance and possible re(performances. #ccording to her reading, representation of the first performance is important not only for the audience of that performance but for future audiences as well, since it monumentali6es the ritual as a shared emotional e perience. 9ne of the most important contributions is #thanassa!i.s argument that both poet and audience are viewers of the monuments lin!ed to the original performance, so that the enactment of the odes functions as an e tension of that viewing e perience. This line of in5uiry has been pursued by other scholars, but #thanassa!i.s achievement emerges in her discussion of the analogies between the visual and poetic representation that the audience is invited to find. %or #thanassa!i, the poetic representation of the performance see!s to conserve the memory of the epinician ritual for emotional and ideological reasons. "n the case of Olympian ?, her analysis shows how the mythical exemplum is in dialogue with the sculpture of the east frie6e of the 'iphnian treasury. =eading the ode with Olympian 8 and Isthmian 8, #thanassa!i convincingly shows how the repetitive evocation of the @elphic monument functions as a constant reminder of the ritual and aims at the monumentali6ation of the family.s kleos. #s far as Olympian 1> is concerned, #thanassa!i discusses both archaeological and literary evidence to show that the cult of the Charites is an integral part of the cultural tradition of 9rchomenos. 'he then goes on to argue that the Pindaric focus on the Charites serves to reinforce the possibility of the ode.s re(performance at 9rchomenos, in both ritual and sympotic conte t. Chapter three )Performances in symposia/ =itual, ideology and politics- focuses on the symposium as a place for choral performance. #thanassa!i e amines Nemean A and Olympian 1 as two victory odes that inscribe the symposium as performance space, while Nemean 1 and Pythian 1 represent the symposium as an alternative performance place. This categori6ation allows her to draw valid conclusions regarding the odes. reception. #ccording to #thanassa!i, sympotic imagery is not a poetic instruction to be ta!en at face value. =ather than pointing to an actual performance, poetic representations of symposia serve a larger ideological and political scope. #thanassa!i.s choice of Pindar.s 'icilian odes helps her to e plore further the ideological function of sympotic imagery in epinician poetry and to convincingly conclude that such imagery is employed to guarantee the success of the odes before a Panhellenic aristocratic audience. "n the final chapter )Performances in shrines, ""/ The ritual memori6ation of the polis. kleos-, #thanassa!i further e plores the significance of the constant evocation of sacred space, but now

1 shifts her focus from the monumentali6ation of the family.s kleos to that of the polis as a whole. To that end, she chooses to discuss three odes that evo!e #thenian monuments and shrines. #thanassa!i reads Pythian B as inscribing both #thens and @elphi as places for possible performance. 'ince the e iled 3egacles could not have been honored in his home city at the time of his victory, #thanassa!i argues that Pindar purposefully leads the audience.s mind to #thens in order to point towards a re(performance in the victor.s hometown. 3oreover, she argues that the ode.s reference to the restoration of the @elphic monument points not to the #lcmaeonids in particular, but to #thenian citi6ens in general, deflecting the possibility of phthonos and connecting the city as a whole to the famous temple. $acchylides. tra&ectory is different, #thanassa!i points out. 'he argues that 9des 1B and 1: are in dialogue with #thenian monuments as well but shows that the poet uses the mythological e emplum in order to sing the praises of #thens in a way that emphasi6es Cimon.s similarity to Theseus. #thanassa!i.s boo! is readable and accessible, her style clear and elegant. #part from its most important contributionCthe incorporation of material culture into discussions of choral poetry and its reception )reinforced here by a number of artful illustrations- ((the boo! provides comprehensive and detailed analyses of the poems that help students, specialists and general readers ali!e to grasp their comple ity, richness and density. The "ntroduction and Conclusion are concise and informative and could serve not only as e planations of the boo!.s thesis but also serve as secondary reading material for undergraduate and graduate courses. The main body of the boo! includes many samples of choral poetry, followed by much(needed translations into 3odern 4ree!. The bibliography is admirably up(to(date and e tensive, including important recent wor!s in 3odern 4ree!. #lthough " am sure that the 4ree!(spea!ing audience will appreciate the author.s choice to write in her native language, " regret that this important volume will therefore not have as wide an audience as deserved. " wholeheartedly hope an Dnglish translation is in the wor!s. Table of Contents "ntroduction Chapter 1/ The Chorus/ identity and ritual roles "ntroduction 1. The 'partan chorus. #lcman.s Partheneion )1C2 1P34%8. The #thenean chorus. $acchylides. Dithyramb. 9de 1:. 1. The role and identity of kmos in epinician odes. 1.1 3onodic or choral performanceE 1.8. The identity of the spea!ing " >. Choral persona and phasmatic space Chapter 8/ Performances in shrines, "/ =itual and memory "ntroduction 1. Performance at the shrine of the Charites. Olympian 1>. 1.1 Phasmatic space and audience 1.8 Dpinician performances in the conte t of public festivals 1.1 The poetic concept under the light of the long cultural tradition of 9rchomenos 1.> Dpinician ritual/ revo!ing and monumentali6ing memory 8. Performance in the temple of #pollo. Pythian ?. 8.1 DvoFing the eastern frie6e of the 'iphian Treasure 8.8 The representations in the palaces of the Dmmenides in #cragas 8.1 Gisible and phasmatic space. Dvocing the ritual memory 8.> Glykeia de ren kai sumpotaisin homilein.

> Chapter 1/ Performances in symposia/ =itual, ideology and politics "ntroduction 1. The epinician symposium at Hallias. 8. The symposium in the palace of Chromius in Dtna. Nemean A 8.1 9verlapping of performance references 8.8 The political message of the ode to the @orians of Peloponnesus and Dtna. 8.1 7ar stories around a crater 8.> Triumphal adventus and sympotic performance 1. Performance at the threshold of Chromius in 'yracuse. Nemean 1 >. Performance in Iieron.s palace. Olympian 1. >.1 The festivities conte t >.8 'ympotic homilia >.1 3ythical action. @ivine and Ieroic 'ymposia >.> 'ympotic imagery and the 'icilian audience Chapter >/ Performances in shrines, ""/ The ritual memori6ation of the polis. kleos "ntroduction 1. 3onumentali6ation of the #thenian kleosby the #lcmeonids. Pythian B 1.1 The performance of the 9de 1.8 The triumphal homecoming of a hospitable prominent Camarinean who loved horses. Performance and encomiastic strategy 1.1 3egacles son of Iippocrates/ hippotrophos, Cyloneus 1.> The #lcmeonid.s horses at the eastern pediment of #pollo.s temple 1.J =itual monumentali6ation, viewing and re(performance 8. 3onumentali6ation of the #thenian !leos by the Ceans. $acchylides 9de 1B 8.1. Iistoric and political resonances 8.8 9de 1B in its artistic environment 8.1 9de 1: and the #thenian Treasury 8.> 9de 1B as a !ographia lalousa 8.J The geographic hori6on of the Cean performance resonances 1. 7ays of viewing >. The radiance of #thenian kleos Conclusion ;ist of #bbreviations $ibliography %igure plate "nde of names and topics "nde of ancient sources