DOCSLIB.ORG

Download (1MB)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Download (1MB) McDonald, James Joseph (2020) Paideia in the poetry of Gregory Nazianzen. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/81630/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] PAIDEIA IN THE POETRY OF GREGORY NAZIANZEN James Joseph McDonald (MA, MRes) SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES Submitted in fulfilment of the FACULTY OF ARTS requirementsUniversity for theof Glasgow Degree of PhD 1 Abstract: In this thesis, I explore Gregory’s conception and use of paideia in his poetry as understood in four main ways: (1) Gregory’s knowledge of, familiarity with, and utilisation/manipulation of the literary tradition. (2) His use of paideia as a communication code for self-fashioning, as well as for fashioning his friends and enemies. (3) His pedagogy, that is, the didactic methods used to teach biblical knowledge and theological doctrine. (4) The place of classical culture in the Christian (ascetic) life. In other words, Gregory’s conception of (a Christian) paideia. This thesis focuses upon particular (groups of) poems by Gregory that explore how exactly he puts into practice the episcopal identity which he forges for himself as prytanis of both sacred and profane wisdom. Contents Abbreviations .................................................................................................. 5 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 The Research Question ............................................................................................................... 1 What is Paideia? ........................................................................................................................... 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 8 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................................. 10 Education and Culture in the works of Gregory’s Contemporaries: ................................. 12 Julian............................................................................................................................................ 12 Basil .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Gregory Nyssen ........................................................................................................................... 16 Gregory Nazianzen ..................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 1: Gregory’s Epitaphia ............................................................................ 29 Paideia and the Second (and Third?) Sophistic .................................................................... 30 The Pepaideumenoi ................................................................................................................... 36 Thespesius and Prohaeresius ..................................................................................................... 36 Martinianus .......................................................................................................................... 42 Livia, Euphemius and Amphilochus .............................................................................................. 48 Caesarius ............................................................................................................................ 55 Bishops, Ascetics, and Paideia ................................................................................................ 64 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 2: The Biblical Poems ............................................................................. 75 Gregory the School Teacher? ................................................................................................... 77 Poetry as a Gateway to the Bible ........................................................................................... 86 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 100 Chapter 3: The Hymn and the Agon: Carm. 1.2.1 ...................................................... 101 Asceticism and Paideia in Jerome and Gregory Nyssen .................................................... 101 The Poem on Virginity ............................................................................................................. 105 The Hymn as prologue ........................................................................................................... 106 The Rhetoric of the Rangstreit ................................................................................................. 112 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 127 Chapter 4: The Battle for the Trinity and Paideia in the Theological Orations and Poemata Arcana ........................................................................................................ 130 The Battle for Paideia in the Theological Orations........................................................... 132 The PA: A New Front in the Battle for Paideia .................................................................. 141 The Orphic Hymns in the PA .................................................................................................. 144 A (Middle-)Platonic Reading of Creation and Salvation .................................................... 149 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 159 Conclusions .................................................................................................. 164 Bibliography ................................................................................................. 177 Acknowledgements: First and foremost, I must thank prof. Jan Stenger and prof. Isabel Ruffell for their continuous support and without whose encouragement, criticism, and guidance, I could not have completed this thesis. I must also thank the various people who attended the conferences at which I presented parts of this research for their helpful feedback. Thanks also goes to Giuseppe Celico and Katharina Patommel, for helping me better understand scholarship in Italian and German respectively; and Simon Hanzal for helping me “crunch the numbers” for my analysis of the metre in the poems discussed in chapter two. Dr. Arianna Gullo provided tremendous encouragement and support with chapter one of this thesis, thus improving it vastly. Finally, a great debt of gratitude I owe to my mother and father for their unfailing support and love, to my wife, Shuxin, for her continued support, encouragement, and hot meals, and to Theodore my son for keeping things in perspective. This research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (Grant ref. no.: AH/L503915). Abbreviations Abbreviations of authors and their works are the same as found in the LSJ – except patristic authors who are abbreviated in accordance with Lampe. EG G. Kaibel, Epigrammata Graeca (Berlin, 1878) Lampe G.W.H. Lampe (ed.), A Patristic Greek Lexicon (Oxford, 1968) LSJ H.G. Liddell and R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th edition revised by H.S. Jones and R. McKenzie (Oxford, 1940) LXX Rahlfs, A. (ed.), Septuaginta, revised ed. by R. Hanhart (Stuttgart, 2006) OCD S. Hornblower and A. Spawforth (eds.) The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th Edition (Oxford, 2012) PGRSRE Janiszewski, P., Stebnicka, K., and Szabat, E., Prosopography of Greek Rhetors and Sophists in the Roman Empire (Oxford, 2015) PLRE A.H.M. Jones, J.R. Martindale and J. Morris, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol.1 (Cambridge, 1971) SGO R. Merkelbach and J. Stauber (eds.), Steinepigramme aus dem griechischen Osten, 5 vols. (Berlin, 1998–2004) Introduction The Research Question On my desk, there sits an icon of Saint Gregory Nazianzen, an image of a bearded man, dressed in a pallium with a book in his left hand and his right hand held out with three fingers extended and held together (no doubt a sign of the Trinity which he so strenuously defended). The interesting thing, I find, with such icons, is that there is little to distinguish one (episcopal) saint from another. Most of them are bearded, holding books, wearing a pallium, and so on. All that can distinguish these images (at least to my untrained eye) are the inscriptions: ho hagios Gregorios, or whatever the name might be. Just as with icons, most lay Christians would think there is not much difference between one Church father and the next. They all preached the same faith, and, therefore,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Guast, W. (2017). Accepting the Omen: External Reference in Greek Declamation
    Guast, W. (2017). Accepting the omen: external reference in Greek declamation. Cambridge Classical Journal, 63, 82-102. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1750270517000069 Peer reviewed version Link to published version (if available): 10.1017/S1750270517000069 Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Cambridge University Press at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-classical- journal/article/accepting-the-omen-external-referece-in-greek- declamation/8BA4316403B966605EE9736C2311EAB0 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher. University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/red/research-policy/pure/user-guides/ebr-terms/ 1 ACCEPTING THE OMEN: EXTERNAL REFERENCE IN GREEK DECLAMATION William Guast University of Bristol, UK* Abstract: Traditional accounts of Greek declamation paint this important imperial genre as a flight from the alleged impotence of Greek cities under Roman rule into a nostalgic fantasy of the autonomy of the Classical past. But there is clear evidence of declaimers using their works to refer to the world outside the fiction, often to the immediate performance context, and above all to themselves. This paper examines examples from Aelius Aristides, Philostratus’ Lives of the Sophists, and Polemo, and shows that such a practice facilitated vigorous and eloquent communication, while also allowing for any external message to be plausibly denied. Introduction Λολλιανὸς δὲ ὁ Ἐφέσιος προὔστη μὲν τοῦ Ἀθήνησι θρόνου πρῶτος, προὔστη δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἀθηναίων δήμου στρατηγήσας αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅπλων, ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ αὕτη πάλαι μὲν κατέλεγέ τε καὶ ἐξῆγεν ἐς τὰ πολέμια, νυνὶ δὲ τροφῶν ἐπιμελεῖται καὶ σίτου ἀγορᾶς.
    [Show full text]
  • PAGAN HISTORIOGRAPHY and the DECLINE of the EMPIRE Wolf
    CHAPTER SIX PAGAN HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE Wolf Liebeschuetz Eunapius and his Writings Eunapius1 was about twenty years—one generation—younger than Ammianus Marcellinus. Like Ammianus he was from the Greek- speaking part of the Empire, having been born at Sardis in 347, or more probably in 348,2 to a leading family of the city. But unlike Ammianus he never as far as we know held imperial office either civil or military. So he lacked the connections with court and army which a career in the imperial service might have gained for him. He was a civic notable pure and simple. Judging by what remains of his writings, he was not particularly interested in either administration or warfare, those two staples of classical historiography. He was how- ever highly educated in Greek rhetoric and philosophy and had a strong interest in medicine. His cousin Melite was married to the Neo-Platonist philosopher Chrysanthius, whom Eunapius revered as a teacher, and almost as a father. Chrysanthius was one in the suc- cession of Neo-Platonist philosophers commemorated by Eunapius in his Lives of the Philosophers and Sophists. Eunapius therefore had close personal links with that rather exclusive group of pagan intellectuals.3 Like them, Eunapius devoted his life to the preservation of the Hellenic tradition. In this respect one might compare him with Libanius, about whom we know so much more. It follows that Eunapius’ two works—the History as well as the Lives of the Philosophers and Sophists—were written from a strongly pagan point of view.
    [Show full text]
  • Julian, Paideia and Education
    The Culture and Political World of the Fourth Century AD: Julian, paideia and Education Victoria Elizabeth Hughes Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of History, Classics and Archaeology April 2018 Abstract This thesis examines the role of education and paideia in the political and cultural landscape of the mid-fourth century, focusing on the Greek East and the reign of Julian, particularly his educational measures. Julian’s edict and rescript on education are often understood (not least in light of the invectives of Gregory of Nazianzus) as marking an attempt on his part to ban Christians from teaching and, by extension, from engaging in elite public life. They have been used by some scholars as evidence to support the hypothesis that Julian, a committed pagan, implemented an anti-Christian persecution. This thesis reconsiders that hypothesis: it re-evaluates the reign of Julian and his educational measures, and considers the political role of paideia as the culmination and public expression of rhetorical education. Chapter one introduces the topic and provides a brief ‘literature review’ of the key items for a study of Julian and education in the fourth century. Chapter two addresses rhetorical education in the fourth century: it offers a survey of its methods and content, and explores the idea of a ‘typical’ student in contrast with ‘culture heroes’. Chapter three investigates the long-standing Christian debate on the compatibility of a traditional Greek education with Christian belief, and considers the role of Julian in this connection. Chapter four discusses the enhanced status of Latin and of law studies in light of the enlarged imperial administration in the fourth century, and considers the extent to which this development worked to the detriment of rhetorical studies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Library of Alexandria the Library of Alexandria
    THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA CENTRE OF LEARNING IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Edited by Roy MACLEOD I.B.TAURIS www.ibtauris.com Reprinted in 2010 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com Distributed in the United States and Canada Exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 Revised paperback edition published in 2004 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd Paperback edition published in 2002 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd First published in 2000 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd Copyright © Roy MacLeod, 2000, 2002, 2004 The right of Roy MacLeod to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978 1 85043 594 5 A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available Typeset by The Midlands Book Typesetting Co., Loughborough, Leicestershire Printed and bound in India by Thomson Press India Ltd Contents Notes on Contributors VB Map of Alexandria x Preface Xl Introduction: Alexandria in History and Myth Roy MacLeod Part I.
    [Show full text]
  • The Experiences and Education of the Emperor Julian and How It
    COMPANION TO THE GODS, FRIEND TO THE EMPIRE: THE EXPERIENCES AND EDUCATION OF THE EMPEROR JULIAN AND HOW IT INFLUE NCED HIS REIGN Marshall Lilly Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2014 APPROVED: Christopher Fuhrmann, Major Professor Laura Stern, Committee Member Robert Citino, Committee Member Richard McCaslin, Chair of the Department of History Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Lilly, Marshall. Companion to the Gods, Friend to the Empire: The Experiences and Education of the Emperor Julian and How It Influenced His Reign 361-363 A.D. Master of Arts (History), August 2014, 108 pp., bibliography, 114 titles. This thesis explores the life and reign of Julian the Apostate the man who ruled over the Roman Empire from A.D. 361-363. The study of Julian the Apostate’s reign has historically been eclipsed due to his clash with Christianity. After the murder of his family in 337 by his Christian cousin Constantius, Julian was sent into exile. These emotional experiences would impact his view of the Christian religion for the remainder of his life. Julian did have conflict with the Christians but his main goal in the end was the revival of ancient paganism and the restoration of the Empire back to her glory. The purpose of this study is to trace the education and experiences that Julian had undergone and the effects they it had on his reign. Julian was able to have both a Christian and pagan education that would have a lifelong influence on his reign.
    [Show full text]
  • “Prometheus” 32, 2006, 85-90
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Firenze University Press: E-Journals “Prometheus” 32, 2006, 85-90 HIMERIUS AND THE PRAETORIAN PREFECT SECUNDUS SALUTIUS After the emperor Julian entered Constantinople, where he ruled from December 11, 361 through the middle of June 362, he invited the Athenian sophist Himerius to join him. Himerius accepted the invitation, stopping at Thessalonica and Philippi on his way to Constantinople. Orations that he de- livered in each of those three cities are extant (39-41 Colonna)1. The oration he delivered in Constantinople (41) includes praise of the emperor Julian. Julian was not present to hear this oration: Himerius takes leave of his audi- ence by asking them to “let me now... set my eyes on the emperor” (41.16 basilevw" qevan poihvsasqai), which means that the emperor was not there to be seen. This oration was aimed primarily at a group of fellow Mithraic initiates, on an occasion when Himerius himself was initiated in the Mithraic mysteries2. But Himerius had reached Constantinople while Julian was still there: in the opening words of the oration Himerius says that “I have cleansed my soul through Mithra the Sun, and through the gods I have spent time with (suggenovmenoi) an emperor who is a friend of the gods”3. Having left Athens and his teaching career there and gone east, Himerius would not return until after the death of his Athenian rival, the sophist Prohaeresius, in 3664. We know essentially nothing about what he did during 1 Date of Julian’s arrival in Constantinople: Amm.
    [Show full text]
  • Mcdonald, James Joseph (2020) Paideia in the Poetry of Gregory Nazianzen
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Glasgow Theses Service McDonald, James Joseph (2020) Paideia in the poetry of Gregory Nazianzen. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/81630/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] PAIDEIA IN THE POETRY OF GREGORY NAZIANZEN James Joseph McDonald (MA, MRes) SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES Submitted in fulfilment of the FACULTY OF ARTS requirementsUniversity for theof Glasgow Degree of PhD 1 Abstract: In this thesis, I explore Gregory’s conception and use of paideia in his poetry as understood in four main ways: (1) Gregory’s knowledge of, familiarity with, and utilisation/manipulation of the literary tradition. (2) His use of paideia as a communication code for self-fashioning, as well as for fashioning his friends and enemies. (3) His pedagogy, that is, the didactic methods used to teach biblical knowledge and theological doctrine. (4) The place of classical culture in the Christian (ascetic) life. In other words, Gregory’s conception of (a Christian) paideia.
    [Show full text]
  • Truth to Power: the Politics of Theological Free Speech in the Cappadocian Fathers and Augustine of Hippo by Jennifer Lynn Bene
    Truth to Power: The Politics of Theological Free Speech in the Cappadocian Fathers and Augustine of Hippo by Jennifer Lynn Benedict Graduate Program in Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ James Smith, Supervisor ___________________________ Stanley Hauerwas ___________________________ Meredith Riedel ___________________________ C. Kavin Rowe Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Program in Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2018 ABSTRACT Truth to Power: The Politics of Theological Free Speech in the Cappadocian Fathers and Augustine of Hippo by Jennifer Lynn Benedict Graduate Program in Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ James Smith, Supervisor ___________________________ Stanley Hauerwas ___________________________ Meredith Riedel ___________________________ C. Kavin Rowe An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Program in Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2018 Copyright by Jennifer Lynn Benedict 2018 Abstract This dissertation investigates the political grammars of truth-telling employed by two sets of early Christian authors, the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa), who wrote in Greek, and Augustine of Hippo, who wrote in Latin. My aim is to describe the rules that these thinkers take to order relations implicated in the Christian’s acts of parrhêsia and confessio before other human persons and before the LORD. To this end, I employ methodology derived from ordinary language philosophy (OLP), which understands the meaning of a word to be constituted by its use within the form of life of a particular community.
    [Show full text]
  • Man and the Word: the Orations of Himerius
    1.Penella,Man & The Word 5/17/07 05:23 PM Page 17 The Orations 1.Penella,Man & The Word 5/17/07 05:23 PM Page 18 1.Penella,Man & The Word 5/17/07 05:23 PM Page 19 chapter 1 Himerius’s Son, Rufinus Two orations concern Himerius’s son, Rufinus. The first, Oration 7, Himerius’s plea before the Areopagus for free status for his son, survives only in a few excerpts. The second, Oration 8, Himerius’s lament at the premature death of Rufinus, survives in full. In his brief sketch of Himerius, Eunapius mentions only the Athen- ian sophist’s daughter, not his prematurely departed son (Vitae phil. et soph. 14.2 [494] Giangrande). She is presumably the “full sister” of Rufinus who is mentioned in Oration 8.12; Himerius there praises Rufinus’s love for and protection of her. The siblings’ mother belonged to a distinguished Athenian family, which is highlighted in both Ora- tion 7 and 8. In 7.4 Himerius identifies Rufinus as “a descendant of Plutarch, through whom you [Athenians] educate the whole world . [,] a descendant of Minucianus, who obtained free status for many people on many occasions by means of his eloquence ...[,] the de- scendant of Nicagoras.” In 8.21 he laments the fact that his son did not live long enough to outdo his ancestors by speaking “more forcefully than Minucianus, more solemnly than Nicagoras, more eloquently than Plutarch, more philosophically than Musonius, more intrepidly than Sex- tus.” To list Rufinus’s maternal ancestors, Himerius says, is to make “a list of sophists and philosophers for you, and they are truly the nobil- ity of Attica” (7.4).
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Faith and Learning in Higher Education: Historical Reflections for Orthodox Scholars Today Andrea Sterk University of Florida
    Faith and Learning in Higher Education: Historical Reflections for Orthodox Scholars Today Andrea Sterk University of Florida Consultation of the Orthodox Theological Society in America and the Office of Vocation & Ministry, Hellenic College Cenacle Retreat Center, Chicago, Illinois June 12, 2008 Before I begin my formal presentation, I’d like to situate myself and say something about the thrust of my comments. Although not myself Orthodox, I have been very much influenced by the Orthodox tradition. In my thinking as a historian of Christianity I have particularly particularly benefited from the work of Father Georges Florovsky and Father John Meyendorff, among other prominent Orthodox historians and theologians. With regard to pedagogical experience, I have had the privilege to teach in a variety of institutional settings: a Presbyterian seminary, a small Christian liberal arts college, a Catholic university, and now in a history department at a large public research university. I am aware of the diversity of institutions and departments represented here, but my remarks will be especially geared to those who teach or do their scholarship in (or for) a largely secular academic context—although I trust my reflections will be relevant to a broader audience of Christian academics. Finally, I am certainly not an expert on the issues I’ll be addressing tonight but rather a fellow pilgrim in this journey through the academic life; so most of my remarks are intended to spur further thought and discussion as we have much to learn from each other. Higher Education in the 21st Century: Some Challenges and Possible Responses My reflections begin not with history but with the contemporary situation of the academy in the 21st century.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Portrait in Ree Colors
    Self-Portrait in !ree Colors Gregory of Nazianzus’s Epistolary Autobiography Bradley K. Storin UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press Oakland, California © "#$% by Bradley K. Storin Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Storin, Bradley K., author. Title: Self-portrait in three colors : Gregory of Nazianzus’s epistolary autobiography / Bradley K. Storin. Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, ["#$%] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identi&ers: '(() "#$%##*"*+ (print) | '(() "#$%##%%$+ (ebook) | ,-.) %/+#0"#%/"%1# () | ,-.) %/+#0"#*#1$*# (cloth : alk. paper) Subjects: '(-2: Gregory, of Nazianzus, Saint. Correspondence. | Gregory, of Nazianzus, Saint—Criticism and interpretation. Classi&cation: '(( 34*%%+.5/* (ebook) | '(( 34*%%+.5/* -/6 "#$% (print) | 77( ++6/.#$—dc"* LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/"#$%##*"*+ Manufactured in the United States of America "+ "/ "6 "0 "1 "* "" "$ "# $% $# % + / 6 0 1 * " $ '()*+)*, Acknowledgments vii Note on Translations ix !. An Epistolary Autobiography ! ". #e Architecture of the Letter Collection "# $. “#e Most Eloquent Gregory” !$! %. “Father of Philosophers” !"! &. “Basilist” !%& Epilogue !'( Abbreviations !)! Notes !)# Works Cited ""' Index of Gregory’s Epistulae "%# Index of Subjects "(( )*+,-./01230,45 !is book has been in the making for a decade now and has taken several forms. It began as a dissertation that includes not only a full-length critical analysis of Gre- gory of Nazianzus’s epistolary discourse and late antique epistolary culture writ large but also a translation of all the letters in Gregory’s collection. I came to realize near its completion, however, that I had not discussed in any detail the construction of the collection as a cohesive and coherent autobiographical text; indeed, this line of inquiry has been largely untapped in scholarship more broadly.
    [Show full text]
  • Academic Life in the Roman Empire Libanius to Aristaenetus
    1.Watts,City and School 6/15/05 4—43 PM Page 1 Chapter 1 Academic Life in the Roman Empire Libanius to Aristaenetus . Now that I have gained two governors as my friends through your agency, I return your gift with one person crammed full of learning. For this man is Harpo- cration, a good poet and a better teacher: he is clever enough to instill the works of ancient authors into young men, and clever enough to make himself an equal to those authors ...He shared a common upbringing and education with Eudaemon, in times past as a pupil and now as a teacher, and though almost of one flesh and blood with his friend, he has been torn away by your irresistible attraction ...I will comfort Eudaemon but you, become [a friend] to Harpocration just as I am to Eudaemon.1 This letter of 358 a.d. from Libanius to his Nicomedian friend Aristaenetus is not an exceptional document. It contains the simple request that Aris- taenetus provide hospitality to Harpocration, a young rhetorician on his way from Antioch to a more prestigious teaching position in Constantinople.2 Har- pocration was relatively unknown outside of Antioch and, when he decided to make the trip to the capital, he turned to Libanius to provide him with let- ters of introduction to men who could help him along the way. The letters Libanius wrote on his behalf were like countless others in antiquity.3 They were carried to their addressee and served both as a letter of introduction and as a recommendation of the character of the bearer.
    [Show full text]