This volume presents a sophisticated and intricate examination of
the parallels between Sanskrit and Greco-Roman literature. By means of a
philological and literary analysis, Morales-Harley hypothesizes that
Greco-Roman literature was known, understood, and recreated in India.
Moreover, it is argued that the techniques for adapting epic into
theater could have been Greco-Roman influences in India, and that some
of the elements adapted within the literary motifs (specifically the
motifs of the embassy, the ambush, and the ogre) could have been
Greco-Roman borrowings by Sanskrit authors.
This
book draws on a wide variety of sources, including Iliad, Phoenix,
Rhesus and Cyclops (Greco-Roman) as well as Mahābhārata, The Embassy,
The Five Nights and The Middle One (Sanskrit). The result is a
well-supported argument which presents us with the possibility of
cultural exchange between the Greco-Roman world and India – a
possibility which, though hypothetical, is worth acknowledging.
Due
to its comparative nature, this volume will appeal to both Indologists
and Classicists, including Mahābhārata scholars, Sanskrit theater
scholars, and those interested in comparative work with Sanskrit
literature. It brings an original perspective to the field, and provides
inspiration for new lines of research.
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