The poetics of old age in Greek epic, lyric, and tragedy

by Thomas M. Falkner

A striking feature of ancient Greek literature is its preoccupation with old age. Yet scholars have been slow to explore the subject - a possible reflection of the ageism that characterizes both ancient Greece and our times. This groundbreaking study by Thomas M. Falkner remedies the oversight by providing the most extensive treatment of old age in Greek literature to date. Focusing on three major genres - epic, lyric, and tragedy - Falkner examines the representation of old age and the elderly in a range of texts, including Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Sappho's lyrics, and Sophocles' last tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus.