Unit:
Department of PhilologyLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Malamou Myrto-Maria
Dissertation committee:
Αμφιλόχιος Παπαθωμάς, Καθηγητής Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας και Παπυρολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Δημήτριος Καραδήμας, Καθηγητής της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, Αντιπρύτανης ΕΚΠΑ
Γραμματική Κάρλα, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Νικολέττα Καναβού, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας
Αθηνά Μπάζου, Λέκτορας της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Χρήστος Φάκας, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Ροζαλία Χατζηλάμπρου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Ο ρήτορας και η πόλη του: Τα πέντε Σμυρναϊκά κείμενα του Αίλιου Αριστείδη
Translated title:
The orator and his city: Aelius Aristides' five Smyrnean texts
Summary:
This dissertation focuses on the five texts (17-21 Keil) by Aelius Aristides (2nd cent. AD), one of the most prominent and influential orators of the Imperial period, concerning the city of Smyrna. In the first Smyrnean oration, delivered in Smyrna (ca. 157 AD), Aristides praises his city before the local authorities. No more than twenty years later, an earthquake devastates Smyrna. This unexpected fact dictates to Aristides the next four texts: the Monody, a lament for the destruction, the Letter to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, an appeal for actual support to rebuild the city, the Palinode, an open letter to the Provincial Assembly in Smyrna to celebrate the rebuilding process, and the final Smyrnean oration, a new praise for the reconstructed city. These five texts about Smyrna seem to work together as a unique section among the Ancient Greek letters, since it is the only unity of texts regarding the same city before and after a natural catastrophe. The initial praise of Smyrna is reconsidered due to an unpredictable misfortune, transformed into lament and finally reshaped into a new praise of a new city.
This thesis consists of five parts. The introduction aims to contextualize Aristides' life and works within the social, cultural and intellectual environment of the Second Sophistic. Chapter 1 traces the origins of city praise, in an attempt to highlight Aristides' literary sources. Chapter 2 treats the two representative orations which praise cities in Aristides' work (Panathenaic and To Rome) as larger structures that served as models for the Smyrnean corpus. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the five Smyrnean texts, discussing their composition, delivery and major themes. The final chapter includes a translation of the five texts into Modern Greek and their commentary.
Main subject category:
Language – Literature
Keywords:
Aelius Aristides, Second Sophistic, Smyrna
Number of references:
454
