Laudator Temporis Acti

Martin Hengel, "Günther Zuntz 1902-1992," Proceedings of the British Academy 87 (1994) 493-522 (at 508):

In 1974 he justified to his friend his refusal to contribute to a collection of essays about Tragedy:

I'm getting more and more sceptical about these ever increasing 'essais de vulgarisation'. Or say: interpretation. Yes, yes, yes, we must all do all we can to prevent the Golden Chain from being broken; ten years ago I still agreed (in public) that the most important thing to be done is good commentaries. By now, however, there is so much interpretation bandied about: nobody can hope any longer to form his own image and impressions—and yet, that is what needs keeping alive: instead of the prattle by the experts, the chance of fresh, direct, unprejudiced encounters with the originals, is it not? This is why I have given these years and all my mind to elementary teaching; and concurrently, my scepticism about the provision of predigested fare has been increasing all the time.⁴⁶

⁴⁶ Letter to C.J. Herington of 9 July 1974.