Commenting on, criticizing and rewriting Homer in Philostratos’ Heroikos

Philostratos’ Heroikos als Homerische commentaar, kritiek en herschrijving
Begin - Einde 
2015 - 2019 (afgewerkt)
Type 
Vakgroep(en) 
Vakgroep Letterkunde
Andere instituten 
Université de Lille - Laboratoire Savoirs Textes Langage (UMR 8163)
Onderzoeksgebied 
Tijdsperiode 
Taal 
Onderzoeksmethode 
Trefwoorden 
Second Sophistic literature
Homer
Physiognomy
Greek mythology
Literary criticism

Tabgroup

Abstract

The thesis addresses the way in which Philostratos, writing in the early third century C.E., fashions a new version of the Trojan War in the central part of his dialogue, the Heroikos. The study presents a thorough analysis of the dialog’s sources and their use, and of the parallels with other literary and non-literary texts from the Imperial period. It also examines the ways in which this text addresses a set of broader interrelated questions such as the status and nature of the Homeric poems and conceptions of truth, lies and fiction. As a dialogue about events from the distant past known primarily through canonical poems, the Heroikos combines fictional creation with a form of criticism that goes beyond the domain of the literary to address questions that were key to the Second Sophistic. The aim the research is, therefore, to throw light on the text from Philostratos’ culture, identifying rhetorical concepts and practices as well as broader intellectual habits which were widespread in the Imperial period

Onderzoekers

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Doctoraatsstudent(en)

Externe medewerkers

Ruth Webb

Laboratoire Savoirs Textes Langage (UMR 8163) - Université de Lille