Abstract
Ludolph Dissen's Excursus II on the use of asyndeton in poetic diction, accompanying his 1830 edition of Pindar's odes and fragments, sparked a controversy among German classical scholars, August Boeckh, Gottfried Hermann, Theodor Bergk, Friedrich Schneidewin, and Tycho Mommsen among them. Set in a diachronic framework, this article explores Dissen's observations in his Excursus II and argues that Dissen's and Mommsen's views mark the two ends of a diachronic spectrum, constructing a virtual diptych of literary and textual criticism, as both classical scholars tackled the use of asyndeton in their editions. Along this train of thought, it scrutinizes Dissen's influence on Mommsen's editio maior. It also discusses the influence exerted on their views by Boeckh's and Hermann's editorial practices. Hence, in the light of the rivalry between Boeckh and Hermann, the article explores their reaction to Dissen's observations. In conclusion, it argues that nineteenth-century German classical scholarship fertilized Pindaric literary criticism through large scale projects e.g. the edition of texts, as well as through subtle observations resulting from textual criticism and close reading.
The Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the Nineteenth Century: Social Influences on Editorial Practices
