Classical Criticism after Aristotle

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the main contributions to literary theory, criticism, and secular hermeneutics after the age of Plato and Aristotle. The main authors dealt with are Horace, Pseudo-Longinus, and Plotinus, mainly as regards their poetics and their aesthetic theories. Some schools dealt with more briefly are the Stoics, the Epiciureans, and the Hellenistic scholars, There follows a section on classical hermeneutics, and another on classical rhetoric.

Keywords: Criticism, Aesthetics, Greek poetics, Horace, Pseudo-Longinus, Hermeneutics, Interpretation, Rhetoric, Stylistics, Classical poetics, Poetics, Literary theory