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Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato's Laws Zichi Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws Zichi, Claudia 2018 Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Zichi, C. (2018). Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws. MediaTryck Lund. 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LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws CLAUDIA ZICHI FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND THEOLOGY | LUND UNIVERSITY 25 Studia Graeca et Latina Lundensia 25 AN ECOLABEL 3041 0903 ryck, Lund 2018 NORDIC SW In fourth century Athens philosophy had to reckon with a strong edu- cational authority: poetry. In the Laws Plato sketches the constitution Printed by Media-T of the imaginary ideal colony of Magnesia. Magnesia is a city founded on virtue and its citizens are educated to follow virtue in all instances of public and private life. Citizens are urged to abide by the laws, but, more importantly, they are persuaded to spontaneously conform to the laws and believe in their correctness. The preludes to the laws are composed specifically to serve this purpose: educate citizens to a virtuous life. This dissertation examines the poetic references and the poetic diction used in the preludes, and attempts to show how Plato incorporates poetry in his writing in order to offer a valid alternative to the moral teaching of the poets. Lund University Faculty of Humanities and Theology Centre for Languages and Literature 537083 ISBN 978-91-7753-708-3 ISSN 1100-7931 Studia Graeca et Latina Lundensia 25 789177 25 9 Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws Claudia Zichi DOCTORAL DISSERTATION by due permission of the Faculty of Humanities and Theology, Lund University, Sweden, to be defended at the Centre of Languages and Literature, 9 June 2018 at 10.15. Faculty opponent Dr. Andrea Capra Organization Document name LUND UNIVERSITY Doctoral Dissertation Date of issue 9 June 2018 Author: Claudia Zichi Sponsoring organization Title and subtitle: Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws Abstract This doctoral dissertation investigates how Plato elaborates and incorporates the works of the poets in the preludes to the laws. It is argued that the poetic style of the preludes represents a key element for the Athenian’s purpose of persuading the citizens of Magnesia to spontaneously abide to the new legislation that is being laid out. The analysis is divided in four chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the general approach that has been followed in the reading of the dialogue, for example, the acknowledgement of the parainetic and protreptic nature of the Platonic dialogues. Chapter 2 engages with the methodology used, a distinction is here made between poetic influences and poetic references occurring in the preludes. Chapter 3 concerns the investigation of 21 preludes which have been divided in three groups: group 1, “Praise and Blame”, examines the encomiastic discourse of the Athenian, and more specifically the poetic references to the epinician genre; group 2, “Jussive Parainesis”, analyses the diction and the prescriptive style of the preludes; group 3, “Myth as Poetic Rationale” focusses on the resort to fictive stories as a useful means to instil in the young the desire to follow the regulations established for Magnesia. Each group is followed by a concluding section, which summarises the results of the preceding analysis. Chapter 4 restates the findings of the investigations, interprets the preludes in relation to tragic theatre and engages in a discussion regarding the important meaning at 7.717b of the πολιτεία as “truest tragedy.” Key words Plato, Poetry, Laws, Preludes, Tragedy Classification system and/or index terms (if any) Supplementary bibliographical information Language English ISSN and key title 1100-7931 Studia Graeca et Latina ISBN 978-91-7753-708-3 Lundensia 25 Recipient’s notes Number of pages 278 Price Security classification I, the undersigned, being the copyright owner of the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation, hereby grant to all reference sources permission to publish and disseminate the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation. Signature Date ἕτερος ἐξ ἑτέρου σοφός τό τε πάλαι τό τε νῦν. [οὐδὲ γὰρ ῥᾷστον] ἀρρήτων ἐπέων πύλας ἐξευρεῖν. (Bacchylides, fr. 5.1–4) Poetic Diction and Poetic References in the Preludes of Plato’s Laws Claudia Zichi Coverphoto by Baldassarre Peruzzi, “Apollo and the Muses” Copyright: Claudia Zichi Faculty of Humanities and Theology, Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University Studia Graeca et Latina Lundensia 25 ISBN 978-91-7753-708-3 ISSN 1100-7931 Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University Lund 2018 Published from support from Faculty of Humanites and Theology at Lund University Hjalmar Gullberg’s and Greta Thott’s Scholarship To Aske Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................... xii Note to the Reader ...................................................................... xiv 1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Reading the Laws ........................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Three Milestones in Plato’s Reception Studies ....................... 2 1.1.2 The Intended Audience of the Laws ....................................... 6 1.1.3 Aim of this Study .................................................................. 8 1.2 Preludes in the Laws .................................................................. 12 1.2.1 Προοίμια in the literary tradition before Plato ...................... 12 1.2.2 Προοίμιον in Plato’s corpus................................................. 16 1.2.3 Προοίμιον in the Laws ......................................................... 18 2 Methodology ....................................................................................... 36 2.1 Terminology and Method .......................................................... 36 1.3.2 Plato and earlier Greek Philosophers .................................... 45 1.3.3 Scholarly Debate on the Preludes ......................................... 47 1.3.4 Criteria of Selection and the List of Preludes ....................... 53 3 Poetry in the Preludes.......................................................................... 57 3.1 Praise and Blame ....................................................................... 57 P1a: Prelude to the New Legislation. Part One.............................. 57 P1b: General Prelude to the new Legislation. Part Two................. 73 P2: Prelude on the Marriage Law ................................................. 93 P4: Prelude on Hunting .............................................................. 109 P19a: Prelude on Military Service. The Best Warrior .................. 119 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 121 3.2 Jussive Paraenesis ................................................................... 125 P3: Prelude on the Acceptance of the Land-Lot .......................... 125 P8: Mistreatment of the Elders ................................................... 132 P9: Prelude on Violence against Family Members ...................... 135 P11: Prelude on Fraud ................................................................ 143 P12: Prelude on Trade ................................................................ 146 P13: Prelude on Testaments ....................................................... 148 P16: Prelude on Drugs................................................................ 152 P17: Prelude on Trials ................................................................ 153 P21: Prelude on Foreign Relations .............................................. 156 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 160 3.3 Myth as a Form of Poetic Rationale ......................................... 162 P5: Prelude on Sexual Matters ................................................... 162 P6: Prelude on Temple-Robbery ................................................. 175 P7: Prelude on Murders .............................................................. 185 P19b: Prelude on Military Service. The Abandoning of Armour . 195 P15: Prelude on Honours due to Parents and Progenitors
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