This open-access book fills a huge gap in the study of classical reception in Irish literature by making accessible in translation selections from a wide variety of 10th-15th century texts. These texts are important because they demonstrate Ireland's indigenous and pre-colonial expertise in classical learning. Ireland thus emerges as a unique case in postcolonial terms where classical education is normally assumed to derive from a British imperial model.The collection situates the antiquity sagas into a broader framework of Irish, Scandinavian, and international medieval literatures. The first section of the book correlates historical Irish and world chronologies with those of ancient Greece and Rome (including texts such as the first fragment of the Annals of Tigernach). The second and third sections focus on the reception of Homer and Latin epics (including such texts as Togail Troí, Imtheachta Aeniasa and In Cath Catharda). The fourth section looks at pseudo-histories with texts such as Merugud Uilix and Scéla Alaxandair. Finally the sixth section explores histories and books of scholarly knowledge (including texts such as Dindshenchas and Auraicept na nÉces). Together these extracts posit thematic analogies between Irish and Graeco-Roman traditions across genre, historiography, linguistics and mythography, showcasing the marked influence of classical concepts and tropes.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the European Research Council.

Published under the auspices of the ERC project 'Classical Influences and Irish Culture'

List of IllustrationsList of ContributorsAcknowledgementsA Guide to Editorial Practices for Middle Irish Texts, Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)I. INTRODUCTION1. The Culture of the Book and Classical Learning in the Gaelic Middle Ages, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh (University of Cambridge, UK) and Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)2. The Irish Antiquity Sagas in Context, Ralph O'Connor (University of Aberdeen, UK)II. CHRONOLOGY AND CORRELATION3. The First Fragment of the Annals of Tigernach, Patrick Wadden (Belmont Abbey College, USA)4. Gilla Cóemáin's Annálad anall uile 'All the annals heretofore...', Peadar Mac Gabhann (Ulster University, UK)5. Flann Mainistrech's Flaithius Rómán ríge glonn 'The sovereignty of the Romans was a kingship of feats of prowess', Peadar Mac Gabhann (Ulster University, UK)III. THE TROJAN WAR6. Luid Iasón ina luing lóir 'Jason went in his ample ship', Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)7. Togail Troí 'The Siege of Troy', Recension 1, Brent Miles (University of Toronto, Canada)8. Togail Troí 'The Siege of Troy', Recension 2 from the Book of Leinster, Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)9. Togail Troí 'The Siege of Troy', Recension 3, Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)10. Don Tres Troí 'On the Third Troy', Brent Miles (University of Toronto, Canada)IV. ADAPTATION OF LATIN EPIC11. Togail na Tebe 'The Siege of Thebes', Mariamne Briggs (Independent Scholar, UK)12. Riss in Mundtuirc 'The Tale of the Necklace', Brent Miles (University of Toronto, Canada)13. Imtheachta Aeniasa 'The Wanderings of Aeneas', Erich Poppe (University of Marburg, Germany)14. In Cath Catharda 'The Civil War': The Prologue, Brigid Ehrmantraut (University of Cambridge, UK)15. In Cath Catharda 'The Civil War': Literary Techniques, Maio Nagashima (University of Cambridge, UK)16. In Cath Catharda 'The Civil War': The Influence of Scholia, Cillian O'Hogan (University of Toronto, Canada)V. MYTHOGRAPHY AND PSEUDOHISTORY17. 'How Samson Slew the Gesteda', Brigid Ehrmantraut (University of Cambridge, UK)18. Merugud Uilixis meic Leirtis 'The Wandering of Ulysses son of Laertes', Barbara Hillers (Indiana University, USA)19. Fingal Chlainne Tanntail 'The Kin-Slaying of the Family of Tantalus', Robert Crampton (Independent Scholar, UK)20. Sgél in Mínaduir 'The Story of the Minotaur', Barbara Hillers (Indiana University, USA)21. Scéla Alaxandair 'The Saga of Alexander', Cameron Wachowich (University of Toronto, Canada)22. Stair Ercuil ocus a Bás 'The History of Hercules and his Death', Gregory R. Darwin (Uppsala University, Sweden)VI. WORLD KNOWLEDGE AND INDIGENOUS TRADITION23. Auraicept na nÉces 'The Scholars' Primer', Nicolai Egjar Engesland (University of Oslo, Norway)24. Clann Ollaman uaisle Emna 'The nobles of Emain Macha are Ollam's descendants', Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)25. Cogadh Gáedhel re Gallaibh 'The War of the Irish against the Foreigners', Máire Ní Mhaonaigh (University of Cambridge, UK)26. Lebor Gabála Érenn 'The Book of Invasions of Ireland', John Carey (University College Cork, Ireland)27. Dindshenchas Érend 'Knowledge of Ireland's Notable Places': The River Boyne, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh (University of Cambridge, UK)28. Dindshenchas Érend 'Knowledge of Ireland's Notable Places': The Origins of Tara, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf (University of Cambridge, UK)29. Suidiugud Tellaig Temra 'The Establishment of Tara's Dominion', Daniel Watson (Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies)30. Scéla na Esérgi 'Treatise on the Resurrection', Elizabeth Boyle (National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland)VII. EPILOGUE31. Classical Reception and Medieval Irish Texts, Isabelle Torrance (Aarhus University, Denmark)32. Table of the Principal Manuscript Sources Used, Michael Clarke (University of Galway, Ireland)NotesBibliographyIndex