Libanius the sophist : rhetoric, reality, and religion in the fourth century / Raffaella Cribiore.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cribiore, Raffaella.

Series:

Cornell studies in classical philology.pTownsend lectures.

Townsend Lectures/Cornell Studies in Classical Philology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Libanius--Criticism and interpretation.

Libanius.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (271 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, New York : Cornell University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Libanius of Antioch was a rhetorician of rare skill and eloquence. So renowned was he in the fourth century that his school of rhetoric in Roman Syria became among the most prestigious in the Eastern Empire. In this book, Raffaella Cribiore draws on her unique knowledge of the entire body of Libanius's vast literary output-including 64 orations, 1,544 letters, and exercises for his students-to offer the fullest intellectual portrait yet of this remarkable figure whom John Chrystostom called "the sophist of the city."Libanius (314-ca. 393) lived at a time when Christianity was celebrating its triumph but paganism tried to resist. Although himself a pagan, Libanius cultivated friendships within Antioch's Christian community and taught leaders of the Church including Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea. Cribiore calls him a "gray pagan" who did not share the fanaticism of the Emperor Julian. Cribiore considers the role that a major intellectual of Libanius's caliber played in this religiously diverse society and culture. When he wrote a letter or delivered an oration, who was he addressing and what did he hope to accomplish? One thing that stands out in Libanius's speeches is the startling amount of invective against his enemies. How common was character assassination of this sort? What was the subtext to these speeches and how would they have been received? Adapted from the Townsend Lectures that Cribiore delivered at Cornell University in 2010, this book brilliantly restores Libanius to his rightful place in the rich and culturally complex world of Late Antiquity.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. Rhetoric and the Distortion of Reality

Chapter 2. A Rhetor and His Audience

Chapter 3. A Man and His Gods

Chapter 4. God and the Gods

Conclusion: Julian's School Edict Again

Selected Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780801469077

0801469074

9780801469084

0801469082

OCLC:

863593953