fr. Lysias is far inferior to him both in the greatness and number of his excellences; yet the abundance of his faults is still greater than his deficiency in excellences. This refers either to the parts of Theocritus which are not pastoral or (more probably) to slips of factual detail noted by grammarians. Thee, bold Longinus! It is probably superfluous to explain at length to someone who knows, how the choice of the right word and the fine word has a marvellously moving and seductive effect upon an audience and how all orators and prose writers make this their supreme object. For instance, his character sketches of the daily life in Odysseus’ household constitute a sort of comedy of character. . a. Demosthenes, Oration 21.72 (with some variations from our text). He has, moreover, inverted the order of ideas. Demosthenes, Oration 19.314. I will tell you. Sappho, for instance, never fails to take the emotions incident to the passion of love from its attendant symptoms and from real life. Longinus, also called Dionysius Longinus or Pseudo-Longinus, (flourished 1st century ad), name sometimes assigned to the author of On the Sublime (Greek Peri Hypsous), one of the great seminal works of literary criticism.The earliest surviving manuscript, from the 10th century, first printed in 1554, ascribes it to Dionysius Longinus. If this refers to the present treatise, and not to a separate work (see Introd. LONGINUS: ON THE SUBLIME FIVE PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF SUBLIMITY IN LITERATURE By the word ‘sublime’ Longinus, means elevation or loftiness – all that raises style above the ordinary, and gives it distinction in its widest and truest sense.So sublimity is a certain distinction and excellence in composition. Even more stimulating would it be to add, “If I write this, how would all posterity receive it?” But if a man shrinks at the very thought of saying anything that is going to outlast his own life and time, then must all the conceptions of that man’s mind be like some blind, half-formed embryo, all too abortive for the life of posthumous fame. What does Longinus mean? Anyone can see, I fancy, that this is more elegant than awe-inspiring. N Republic 9.586A, with some changes and omissions. On the Sublime centers on aesthetics and the benefits of strong writing.Longinus does this by analyzing both strong and weak writing from works written over the previous thousand years. All such passages with a direct personal address put the hearer in the presence of the action itself.   counsel; 9.2.62; 12.10.24; Hermogenes, De ideis p. 267 Rabe), and Longinus’ discussion was highly praised by Dr. Johnson (Life of Dryden p. 299, World’s Classics edition). 7 Bolton, fr. But what is the difference between this topic of advice and what we discussed just now, namely the delimitation and unifying arrangement of vital points? He quotes from Longinus: "For our soul is raised out of nature through the truly sublime, sways with high spirits, and is filled with proud joy, as if itself had created what it hears." [Return] b. Sorrowful wretches they are, and theirs is a At once a delicate flame runs through my limbs; I We may apply this to literature and say that Nature fills the place of good fortune. 32. .]. 24. I feel indeed that in recording as he does the wounding of the gods, their quarrels, vengeance, tears, imprisonment, and all their manifold passions Homer has done his best to make the men in the Iliad gods and the gods men. [Return] b. I have been led into this digression to show you, as I said, that great genius with the decline of vigour often lapses very easily into nonsense—there is the story of the wineskina and the men whom Circe turned into swineb—Zoilus called them “porkers in tears”—there is the nurturing of Zeus like a nestling by the doves,c Odysseus’ ten days without food on the wrecked ship,d and the incredible story of the suitors’ slaying.e Can one call these things anything but veritable dreams of Zeus?f