The Western Literary Tradition: Volume 1: The Hebrew Bible to John Milton

This compact anthology provides a thorough introduction to the major works of the Western literary tradition from Antiquity to 1700.

It includes excerpts from seventy texts composed in eight ancient and modern languages and in genres as diverse as epic, lyric, and dramatic verse; prose narrative including story, romance, and novel; and non-fiction prose including autobiography, biography, letter, speech, dialogue, and essay.

Contents include selections from the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and works by Homer, Euripides, Virgil, Ovid, Saint Augustine, Dante, Chaucer, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Milton, and many more. Further distinguishing this collection is the inclusion of works by women writers often overlooked in other literary anthologies, including works by Sappho, Margery Kempe, Marie de France, Christine de Pizan, and others. Margaret L. King’s clear, engaging introductions and notes support an informed reading of the texts while extending reader’s knowledge of particular authors and problems of interest.

The Western Literary Tradition’s modest length and cost allow for the use of full-length works -many of which are available in Hackett Publishing’s own well-regarded and inexpensive translations and editions - alongside the anthology without adding undue cost to a reader’s total textbook fees.