The idea of ancient literary criticism

The Idea of Ancient Literary Criticism traces literary criticism from its origins in archaic Greek poetry through to the earlier Christian era. As well as reading the familiar texts of ancient criticism - Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Poetics, amongst others - it shows how ancient law, history and rhetoric participate in the critical process. In response to the question 'what was ancient literary criticism?', the book argues that when Graeco-Roman authors discussed their work they did so from the perspective of maintaining and identifying the political community. Too proposes that ancient material has in turn major implications for how we understand the function of modern criticism and literary theory.