This collection of papers by an international team of contributors seeks to examine the various ways in which ancient authors and modern readers respond to the interrelations of Greek and Latin texts. The works studied in individual chapters vary widely in genre and historical period, with Plato and Cicero taking their places alongside Homer and Catullus.

This book seeks to examine the various ways in which ancient authors and modern readers negotiate the interrelations of whole and part, and construct and respond to perceived designs in the world of text. The contributors develop the well-established reading strategies of intertextuality, narratology, and various forms of reader-response criticism, while appreciating and questioning the aesthetic quality of the texts, which range from those of Homer and Plato to Catullus and Cicero.

If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, these essays, singly and/or collectively, should prompt a good number of readers to copy down the recipe.