Introduction: Time, Tense, and Genre through the Ages

This chapter introduces the key themes of time, tense, and genre as analytical frameworks for understanding ancient Greek literature. It begins by exploring the diverse ways the ancient Greeks have conceptualised and measured time, from celestial calendars to water clocks, and the societal implications of these systems. Highlighting the fluidity of temporal experience, it emphasises the need to approach ancient texts with sensitivity to cultural differences in how time is understood and represented. The chapter traces the development of Western temporal thought, from ancient Greek philosophers like Heraclitus and Parmenides to medieval theological debates and the rise of Newtonian ‘absolute time’. It situates these ideas within broader intellectual contexts, including anthropology and phenomenology, and the hegemonic influence of modern Western conceptions of time. Turning to literature, this chapter examines how time is constructed through linguistic tenses and literary genres. After a short review of how these concepts have been developed by classical scholars, this introduction offers summaries of the following chapters in the volume. By combining detailed analyses of ancient Greek texts with theoretical insights, the volume aims to reveal how time, tense, and genre operate as interconnected systems that shape narrative and cultural identity. This introduction sets out how the volume aims to uncover the unique temporal frameworks of Greek literature, and offer a holistic view of its diachronic and cross-generic dynamics.