Sophistic Views of the Epic Past from the Classical to the Imperial Age

Description

This collection of essays sheds new light on the relationship between two of the main drivers of intellectual discourse in ancient Greece: the epic tradition and the Sophists. The contributors show how throughout antiquity the epic tradition proved a flexible instrument to navigate new political, cultural, and philosophical contexts. The Sophists, both in the Classical and the Imperial age, continuously reconfigured the value of epic poetry according to the circumstances: using epic myths allowed the Sophists to present themselves as the heirs of traditional education, but at the same time this tradition was reshaped to encapsulate new questions that were central to the Sophists’ intellectual agenda. This volume is structured chronologically, encompassing the ancient world from the Classical Age through the first two centuries AD. The first chapters, on the First Sophistic, discuss pivotal works such as Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen and Apology of Palamedes, Alcidamas’ Odysseus or Against the Treachery of Palamedes, and Antisthenes’ pair of speeches Ajax and Odysseus, as well as a range of passages from Plato and other authors. The volume then moves on to discuss some of the major works of literature from the Second Sophistic dealing with the epic tradition. These include Lucian's Judgement of the Goddesses and Dio Chrysostom's orations 11 and 20, as well as Philostratus’ Heroicus and Imagines. This volume offers new insights on the relationships between two of the main driving forces that shaped the intellectual discourse in ancient Greece: the epic tradition, which for centuries influenced all aspects of the intellectual and everyday life of the Greeks, and the Sophists, who operated within – and contributed to – new, changing cultural environments. The volume takes a diachronic perspective on the topic, including both the first and second Sophistic. The first part of the volume, on the First Sophistic, discusses pivotal works such as Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen and Apology of Palamedes, Alcidamas’ Odysseus or Against the Treachery of Palamedes, and Antisthenes’ pair of speeches Ajax and Odysseus, as well as a range of passages from Plato and other authors. The volume then moves on to discuss some of the major works of literature from the Second Sophistic dealing with the epic tradition. These include Lucian’s Judgement of the Goddesses and Dio Chrysostom’s orations 11 and 20, as well as Philostratus’ Heroicus and Imagines. The essays show how throughout antiquity the epic tradition proved a flexible instrument to navigate new political, cultural, and philosophical contexts. The Sophists, both in the Classical and the Imperial age, continuously reconfigured the value of epic poetry according to the circumstances: using epic myths allowed the Sophists to present themselves as the heirs of traditional education, but at the same time this tradition was reshaped to encapsulate new questions that were central to the Sophists’ intellectual agenda. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Contents Contributors Introduction Notes References Part One The First Sophistic 1 Between Homer and Gorgias: Helen’s Bewitching Power Introduction Helen in Homer: weaver, singer, charmer Helen in Gorgias: a Sophistic heroine Conclusion Notes References 2 Palamedes, The Sophistic Hero Introduction Archaic and Classical traditions on Palamedes Gorgias’ Apology of Palamedes Alcidamas’ Odysseus or On the Treachery of Palamedes Conclusion Notes References 3 Ajax versus Odysseus Introduction The next-best of the Achaeans Odysseus and Ajax in the Greek imagination The speeches: Ajax The speeches: Odysseus Harnessing Homer Odysseus’ speech: Conclusion Notes References 4 Mythological Role-Playing among the Sophists Introduction Nestor Palamedes Adrastus Prometheus Coda: The Second Sophistic Conclusion Notes References Part Two The Second Sophistic 5 Homeric Exegesis and Athetesis in Lucian’s Versions of the Judgement of Paris Notes References 6 Helen Was Never Abducted, Paris Abducted Her Because He Was Bored: Two Ways of Rewriting Homer in Dio Chrysostom (Orr. 11 and 20) Idleness and kingship: why Homer is the one and only poet for leaders Manipulation of Epos in the Second Sophistic: techniques and intents The Judgement of Paris and the Abduction of Helen in the ancient texts The Judgement of Paris and the Abduction of Helen in or. 11 (Trojan ) The Judgement of Paris and the Abduction of Helen in or. 20 On the Subject of Anachoretic Life Conclusion Notes References 7 Homer’s Lies and Dio’s Truth? Subverting the Epic Past in Dio Chrysostom’s Trojan Oration Introduction Dio’s Trojan oration: a brief summary Homer’s lies and Dio’s truth Homer the bad storyteller Interpretations in scholarship so far Trust no one: framing Homer, framing Dio Conclusion Notes References 8 A Rhetorical Trojan War: Philostratus’ Heroicus, the Power of Language and the Construction of the Truth1 What kind of truth? How to contest the Mysian tradition ‘Helen was not in Troy’: from historiography to sophistic The fiction of the Scamander: from sophistic to historiography A plausible Trojan War amongst other rhetorical possibilities Notes References 9 Reading Homer and the Epic Cycle through Ekphrasis: Philostratus’ Epic Imagines1 Philostratus’ textual references Philostratus’ audiences Introducing Homeric authority: Imagines 1.1 Homer and the Epic Cycle: Imagines 2.7 The Epic Cycle and visual culture: Imagines 1.7 Homer, the Epic Cycle and the independence of painting Conclusion Notes References Index