Matzner's study makes a unique contribution to ancient literary criticism and rhetorical theory, and to theories of metaphor and figurative language more generally. A great strength of his approach lies in his deft orchestration of a Formalist focus on usage and aesthetic aspects of metonymy that produces a far-ranging and focused analysis. As the trope is central to ancient imagery, and yet has been poorly understood since Aristotle, we should be all the more
grateful to Matzner for his lucid approach to key problems in defining its parameters and illuminating its intricacies.
