A New Sublime

In a book “as bewitching and entertaining as a novel” a renowned Italian literary critic “uncovers the unexpected, extraordinary modernity of the classics” (Piero Dorfles).

In A New Sublime, literary critic Piero Boitani reveals the timeless beauty and wisdom of ancient literature, highlighting its profound and surprising connections to the present. Ranging from Homer to Tacitus, with Thucydides, Aristotle, Sophocles, Cicero, and many others in between, Boitani’s fresh and inspiring insights remind us of the enduring importance and beauty of the classics of the Western canon.

Boitani explores what the classics have to say about the mutability and fluidity of identity and matter, the power and position of women in society. He also looks closely at their depictions of force and subjugation, fate and free will, the ethical life, hospitality, love, compassion, and mysticism. Through it all, he shows how the classics can play active roles in our contemporary lives.