Lessons From the Past : The Moral Use of History in Fourth-Century Prose

Deepens our understanding of the Greek tendency to view the past as a source for contemporary moral lessons | Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars ancient and modern have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors — Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers. Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By focusing on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians — Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), she examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition. Frances Pownall is Professor of History and Classics, University of Alberta. "Lessons from the Past contributes in a new way to current discussions of the connections between the genres of rhetoric and history in Greek literature, and deepens our understanding of the Greek tendency to look to the past as a source for moral edification of contemporary audiences. This agenda is even apparent, to some extent, in the writings of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars - ancient and modern - have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors - Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers." "Frances Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By concentrating on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians - Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), the author examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition."--Jacket

Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars ancient and modern have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors — Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers. Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By focusing on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians — Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), she examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition.
Frances Pownall is Professor of History and Classics, University of Alberta.

Lessons from the Past: The Moral Use of History in Fourth-Century Prose......Page 4 Preface......Page 6 Contents......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1. The Intellectual Context......Page 16 2. The Menexenus: Plato’s Critique of Political Rhetoric......Page 49 3. Xenophon’s Hellenica......Page 76 4. Ephorus’s History......Page 124 5. Theopompus’s Philippica......Page 154 Conclusion......Page 187 Bibliography......Page 194 Index......Page 210