Books › On the sublime
On the sublime
First published 1612 · 42405 pages
An antiquarian deep-dive into the ancient mechanics of awe-inspiring language and literary majesty.
What it feels like
Reading this edition feels like stepping into a wood-paneled study filled with the scent of old paper. It offers a steady, contemplative immersion into the ancient mechanics of literary majesty, presenting a multilingual tapestry of Greek, Latin, and French. The mood is deeply intellectual and reverent, inviting the reader to ponder the very nature of aesthetic elevation and the power of language. Rather than a narrative journey, it is a scholarly exploration of rhetoric and the sublime, demanding careful attention to terms, phrases, and classical criticism. It will delight antiquarians, linguists, and students of classical aesthetics who find joy in tracing the historical roots of literary style and the enduring quest for the marvelous in discourse.
- Mood
- intellectual
- contemplative
- antiquarian
- Tone
- scholarly
- analytical
- reverent
- didactic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the nature of beauty · literary excellence · the power of language · aesthetic elevation
- The writing
- A multilingual, scholarly presentation of ancient rhetorical theory, blending classical Greek and Latin with early French translation.
- The arc
- A journey from foundational definitions of rhetoric to an elevated appreciation of literary majesty.
- Who it's for
- Scholars of classical literature, rhetoric, and aesthetics who appreciate historical texts in their early translated forms.
About the book
Text in Latin and Greek, followed by French translation from the Greek of De Sublimitate. Brunet, III, column 1151 Grässe, IV, p. 252 Title romanized from Greek. Attributed to Longinus, the name assigned to the 1st cent. author of the treatise; formerly incorrectly attributed to Dionysius Cassius Longinus, ca. 213-273. Signatures: 4(-1) 2-34 4*2 A-3F4 3G2. "Traité du sublime, ou, Du merveilleux dans le discours. Traduit du grec de Longin par Monsieur Despreaux": p. [258]-344. Includes index. LC copy has in ink on front free endpaper: R.W. 1707.
Description from Open Library.
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