Aesopic Conversations: Popular Tradition, Cultural Dialogue, and the Invention of Greek Prose (Martin Classical Lectures Book 26)

Introduction: an elusive quarry: In search of ancient Greek popular culture ; Explaining the joke: a roadmap for classicists ; Synopsis of method and structure of argument -- The Aesopic challenge to Delphic authority: Ideological tensions at Delphi ; the Aesopic critique ; Neoptolemus and Aesop: sacrifice, hero cult, and competitive scapegoating -- Sophia before/beyond philosophy: the tradition of Sophia ; Sophists and (as) sages ; Aristotle and the transformation of Sophia -- Aesop as sage: political counsel and discursive practice ; Aesop among the sages ; Political animals: fable and the scene of advising -- Reading the life: the progress of a sage and the anthropology of Sophia: an Aesopic anthropology of wisdom ; Aesop and Ahiqar ; Delphic theoria and the death of a sage ; the bricoleur as culture hero, or the art of extorting self-incrimination -- The Aesopic parody of high wisdom: demystifying Sophia: Hesiod, Theognis, and the seven sages ; Aesopic parody in the visual tradition -- Aesop at the invention of philosophy: the problematic sociopolitics of mimetic prose ; the generic affiliations of Sokratikoi logoi -- The battle over prose: fable in sophistic education and Xenophon's Memorabilia: Sophistic fables ; traditional fable narration in Xenophon's Memorabilia -- Sophistic fable in Plato: parody, appropriation, and transcendence: Plato's Protagoras: debunking Sophistic fable ; Plato's symposium: ringing the changes on fable -- Aesop in Plato's Sokratikoi logoi: analogy, elenchos, and disavowal: Sophia into philosophy: Socrates between the sages and Aesop ; the Aesopic bricoleur and the "old Socratic tool-box" ; sympotic wisdom, comedy, and Aesopic competition in Hippias major -- Historie and logopoiia: two sides of Herodotean prose: history before prose, prose before history ; Aesop ho logopoios ; Plutarch reading Herodotus: Aesop, ruptures of decorum, and the non-Greek -- Herodotus and Aesop: Cyrus tells a fable ; Greece and (as) fable, or resignifying the hierarchy of genre ; fable as history ; the Aesopic contract of the histories: Herodotus teaches his readers. CONTENTS 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 14 ABBREVIATIONS 18 INTRODUCTION 26 I. An Elusive Quarry: In Search of Ancient Greek Popular Culture 27 II. Explaining the Joke: A Road Map for Classicists 41 III. Synopsis of Method and Structure of Argument 71 PART I: Competitive Wisdom and Popular Culture 76 CHAPTER 1 Aesop and the Contestation of Delphic Authority 78 I. Ideological Tensions at Delphi 79 II. The Aesopic Critique 84 III. Neoptolemus and Aesop: Sacrifice, Hero Cult, and Competitive Scapegoating 100 CHAPTER 2 Sophia before/beyond Philosophy 120 I. The Tradition of Sophia 120 II. Sophists and (as) Sages 127 III. Aristotle and the Transformation of Sophia 140 CHAPTER 3 Aesop as Sage: Political Counsel and Discursive Practice 150 I. Aesop among the Sages 150 II. Political Animals: Fable and the Scene of Advising 167 CHAPTER 4 Reading the Life: The Progress of a Sage and the Anthropology of Sophia 184 I. An Aesopic Anthropology of Wisdom 185 II. Aesop and Ahiqar 201 III. Delphic Theoria and the Death of a Sage 210 IV. The Bricoleur as Culture Hero, or the Art of Extorting Self-Incrimination 216 CHAPTER 5 The Aesopic Parody of High Wisdom 227 I. Demystifying Sophia: Hesiod, Theognis, and the Seven Sages 229 II. Aesopic Parody in the Visual Tradition? 249 PART II: Aesop and the Invention of Greek Prose 264 CHAPTER 6 Aesop at the Invention of Philosophy 266 Prelude to Part II: The Problematic Sociopolitics of Mimetic Prose 266 I. Mimesis and the Invention of Philosophy 269 II. The Generic Affiliations of Sōkratikoi logoi 276 CHAPTER 7 The Battle over Prose: Fable in Sophistic Education and Xenophon's Memorabilia 290 I. Sophistic Fables 293 II. Traditional Fable Narration in Xenophon's Memorabilia 313 CHAPTER 8 Sophistic Fable in Plato: Parody, Appropriation, and Transcendence 326 I. Plato's Protagoras: Debunking Sophistic Fable 326 II. Plato's Symposium: Ringing the Changes on Fable 333 CHAPTER 9 Aesop in Plato's Sōkratikoi Logoi: Analogy, Elenchos, and Disavowal 350 I. Sophia into Philosophy: Socrates between the Sages and Aesop 351 II. The Aesopic Bricoleur and the "Old Socratic Tool-Box" 355 III. Sympotic Wisdom, Comedy, and Aesopic Competition in Hippias Major 369 Chapter 10 Historie and Logopoiia: Two Sides of Herodotean Prose 386 I. History before Prose, Prose before History 387 II. Aesop Ho Logopoios 395 III. Plutarch Reading Herodotus: Aesop, Ruptures of Decorum, and the Non-Greek 407 CHAPTER 11 Herodotus and Aesop: Some Soundings 423 I. Cyrus Tells a Fable 425 II. Greece and (as) Fable, or Resignifying the Hierarchy of Genre 429 III. Fable as History 437 IV. The Aesopic Contract of the Histories: Herodotus Teaches His Readers 451 BIBLIOGRAPHY 458 INDEX LOCORUM 488 A 488 B 490 C 491 D 491 E 492 G 492 H 492 I 494 J 494 L 494 M 496 N 496 O 496 P 496 Q 500 S 500 T 501 V 501 X 501 Z 502 GENERAL INDEX 503 A 503 B 505 C 505 D 506 E 507 F 508 G 509 H 509 I 510 J 511 K 511 L 511 M 511 N 512 O 512 P 513 Q 515 R 515 S 515 T 518 U 519 V 519 W 519 X 520 Y 520 Z 520 Examining The Figure Of Aesop And The Traditions Surrounding Him, Aesopic Conversations Offers A Portrait Of What Greek Popular Culture Might Have Looked Like In The Ancient World. This Book Explores The Anonymous Life Of Aesop. Leslie Kurke Argues That The Traditions Surrounding This Strange Text, When Read With And Against The Works Of Greek High Culture, Allow Us To Reconstruct An Ongoing Conversation Of Great And Little Traditions Spanning Centuries. --from Publisher Description. Introduction: An Elusive Quarry: In Search Of Ancient Greek Popular Culture; Explaining The Joke: A Roadmap For Classicists; Synopsis Of Method And Structure Of Argument -- Aesop And The Contestation Of Delphic Authority: Ideological Tensions At Delphi; The Aesopic Critique; Neoptolemus And Aesop: Sacrifice, Hero Cult, And Competitive Scapegoating -- Sophia Before/beyond Philosophy: The Tradition Of Sophia; Sophists And (as) Sages; Aristotle And The Transformation Of Sophia -- Aesop As Sage: Political Counsel And Discursive Practice; Aesop Among The Sages; Political Animals: Fable And The Scene Of Advising -- Reading The Life: The Progress Of A Sage And The Anthropology Of Sophia: An Aesopic Anthropology Of Wisdom; Aesop And Ahiqar; Delphic Theoria And The Death Of A Sage; The Bricoleur As Culture Hero, Or The Art Of Extorting Self-incrimination --^ Historie And Logopoiia: Two Sides Of Herodotean Prose: History Before Prose, Prose Before History; Aesop Ho Logopoios; Plutarch Reading Herodotus: Aesop, Ruptures Of Decorum, And The Non-greek -- Herodotus And Aesop: Some Soundings : Cyrus Tells A Fable; Greece And (as) Fable, Or Resignifying The Hierarchy Of Genre; Fable As History; The Aesopic Contract Of The Histories: Herodotus Teaches His Readers. Leslie Kurke. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Examining the figure of Aesop and the traditions surrounding him, Aesopic Conversations offers a portrait of what Greek popular culture might have looked like in the ancient world. What has survived from the literary record of antiquity is almost entirely the product of an elite of birth, wealth, and education, limiting our access to a fuller range of voices from the ancient past. This book, however, explores the anonymous Life of Aesop and offers a different set of perspectives. Leslie Kurke argues that the traditions surrounding this strange text, when read with and against the works of Greek high culture, allow us to reconstruct an ongoing conversation of "great" and "little" traditions spanning centuries. Evidence going back to the fifth century BCE suggests that Aesop participated in the practices of nonphilosophical wisdom ( sophia ) while challenging it from below, and Kurke traces Aesop's double relation to this wisdom tradition. She also looks at the hidden influence of Aesop in early Greek mimetic or narrative prose writings, focusing particularly on the Socratic dialogues of Plato and the Histories of Herodotus. Challenging conventional accounts of the invention of Greek prose and recognizing the problematic sociopolitics of humble prose fable, Kurke provides a new approach to the beginnings of prose narrative and what would ultimately become the novel. Delving into Aesop, his adventures, and his crafting of fables, Aesopic Conversations shows how this low, noncanonical figure was—unexpectedly—central to the construction of ancient Greek literature. Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions. Examining the figure of Aesop and the traditions surrounding him, Aesopic Conversations offers a portrait of what Greek popular culture might have looked like in the ancient world. What has survived from the literary record of antiquity is almost entirely the product of an elite of birth, wealth, and education, limiting our access to a fuller range of voices from the ancient past. This book, however, explores the anonymous Life of Aesop and offers a different set of perspectives. Leslie Kurke argues that the traditions surrounding this strange text, when read with and against the works of Greek high culture, allow us to reconstruct an ongoing conversation of “great” and “little” traditions spanning centuries. Evidence going back to the fifth century BCE suggests that Aesop participated in the practices of nonphilosophical wisdom (sophia) while challenging it from below, and Kurke traces Aesop’s double relation to this wisdom tradition. She also looks at the hidden influence of Aesop in early Greek mimetic or narrative prose writings, focusing particularly on the Socratic dialogues of Plato and the Histories of Herodotus. Challenging conventional accounts of the invention of Greek prose and recognizing the problematic sociopolitics of humble prose fable, Kurke provides a new approach to the beginnings of prose narrative and what would ultimately become the novel. Delving into Aesop, his adventures, and his crafting of fables, Aesopic Conversations shows how this low, noncanonical figure was — unexpectedly — central to the construction of ancient Greek literature. -- Publisher Examining the figure of Aesop and the traditions surrounding him, this book offers a portrait of what Greek popular culture might have looked like in the ancient world