Truth and History in the Ancient World: Pluralising the Past (Routledge Studies in Ancient History)

This collection of essays investigates histories in the ancient world and the extent to which the producers and consumers of those histories believed them to be true. Ancient Greek historiographers repeatedly stressed the importance of truth to history; yet they also purported to believe in myth, distorted facts for nationalistic or moralizing purposes, and omitted events that modern audiences might consider crucial to a truthful account of the past. Truth and History in the Ancient World explores a pluralistic concept of truth – one in which different versions of the same historical event can all be true – or different kinds of truths and modes of belief are contingent on culture. Beginning with comparisons between historiography and aspects of belief in Greek tragedy, chapters include discussions of historiography through the works of Herodotus, Xenophon, and Ktesias, as well as Hellenistic and later historiography, material culture in Vitruvius, and Lucian's satire. Rather than investigate whether historiography incorporates elements of poetic, rhetorical, or narrative techniques to shape historical accounts, or whether cultural memory is flexible or manipulated, this volume examines pluralities of truth and belief within the ancient world – and consequences for our understanding of culture, ancient or otherwise. Introduction / Ian Ruffell and Lisa Irene Hau -- The challenging abundance of the past : pluralising and reducing in Pindar's victory songs / Jan R. Stenger -- Tragedy and fictionality / Ian Ruffell -- Seventeen types of ambiguity in Euripides' Helen / Matthew Wright -- Multiple ways to access the past : the myth of Oedipus, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Herodotus' Histories / Catherine Darbo-Peschanski -- Fictional truth and factual truth in Herodotus / Anthony Ellis -- Se non è vero : on the use of untrue stories in Herodotus / Katharina Wesselmann -- Intertextuality and plural truths in Xenophon's historical narrative / Emily Baragwanath -- Ctesias of Cnidus : poet, novelist or historian? / Alexander Meeus -- The aesthetics of truth : narrative and historical hermeneutics in Polybius' Histories / Nicolas Wiater -- Truth and moralising : the twin aims of the Hellenistic historiographers / Lisa Irene Hau -- Alexander and the Amazonian queen : truth and fiction / Joseph Roisman -- Lucian on truth and lies in ancient historiography : the theory and its limits / Melina Tamiolaki Preface AbbreviationsList of Contributors1. Introduction Ian Ruffell and Lisa Irene Hau2. The Challenging Abundance of the Past: Pluralising and Reducing in Pindar's Victory SongsJan R. Stenger3. Tragedy and FictionalityIan Ruffell4. Seventeen Types of Ambiguity in Euripides' Helen Matthew Wright5. Multiple Ways to Access the Past: the Myth of Oedipus, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Herodotus' Histories Catherine Darbo-Peschanski6. Fictional Truth and Factual Truth in Herodotus Anthony Ellis7. Se non e vero: On the Use of Untrue Stories in Herodotus.Katharina Wesselmann8. Intertextuality and Plural Truths in Xenophon's Historical NarrativeEmily Baragwanath9. Ctesias of Cnidus: Poet, Novelist or Historian?Alexander Meeus10. The Aesthetics of Truth: Narrative and Historical Hermeneutics in Polybius' HistoriesNicolas Wiater11. Truth and Moralising: the Twin Aims of the Hellenistic HistoriographersLisa Irene Hau12. Alexander and the Amazonian Queen: Truth and FictionJoseph Roisman13. Lucian on Truth and Lies in Ancient Historiography: the Theory and its LimitsMelina TamiolakiIndex "This collection of essays investigates histories in the ancient world and the extent to which the producers and consumers of those histories believed them to be true. Ancient Greek historiographers repeatedly stressed the importance of truth to history; yet they also purported to believe in myth, distorted facts for nationalistic or moralizing purposes, and omitted events that modern audiences might consider crucial to a truthful account of the past. Truth and History in the Ancient World explores a pluralistic concept of truth--one in which different versions of the same historical event can all be true--or different kinds of truths and modes of belief are contingent on culture"--Provided by publisher Truth and History in the Ancient World -- Routledge Studies in Ancient History -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- List of Contributors -- 1 Introduction -- Uses of the Past, Ancient and Modern -- Truth in Ancient Historiography -- History and Its Discontents -- Beyond Historiography -- Pluralising the Past -- The Essays -- Notes -- References -- 2 The Challenging Abundance of the Past: Pluralising and Reducing in Pindar's Victory Songs -- Epinician Poetry and the Past -- Aegina's Preoccupation with the Past -- Isthmian 5: Trojan Wars, Salamis, Athletic Victories 10. Explicit References to Knowledge -- 11. Ambiguous References to (Someone's) State of Mind -- 12. Distancing Phrases -- 13. Utterances that Could be Read as References to an Extra-Dramatic World -- 14. Suggestive Juxtaposition -- 15. Intertextual Echoes -- 16. Conditionals and Counterfactuals -- 17. Plurality and Openness -- Notes -- References -- 5 Multiple Ways to Access the Past: The Myth of Oedipus, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Herodotus' Histories -- The Past of and within the Myth of Oedipus -- Two Ways to Access Reality -- Connecting the Two Routes of Access to Reality Pindar's Vision of the Past -- Notes -- References -- 3 Tragedy and Fictionality -- Approaching Fictionality -- Myths and Fictions -- Mythical and Fictional Particulars -- Fiction, Myth and Reference -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 4 Seventeen Types of Ambiguity in Euripides' Helen -- 1. Structural Wordplay -- 2. Repeated Words and Leitwörter -- 3. Paradox -- 4. Vague Use of Periphrasis -- 5. Abstractitis -- 6. Euphemism -- 7. Maxims -- 8. Explicit References to Truth, Belief or Plausibility -- 9. Explicit References to Ambiguity or Interpretative Difficulties 8 Intertextuality and Plural Truths in Xenophon's Historical Narrative -- Intertextuality, interpretation, plural truths -- Plural Truths at the End of Hellenica: the Mantinea Narrative -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 9 Ctesias of Cnidus: Poet, Novelist or Historian? -- The Genre of Ctesias' Works -- Ctesias and Ancient Historiographical Polemics -- The Picture Provided by the Fragments -- Making Sense of Ctesias' Place in Ancient Historiography -- Notes -- References -- 10 The Aesthetics of Truth: Narrative and Historical Understanding in Polybius' Histories The Sensory Presence in the World -- Notes -- Bibliography -- 6 Fictional Truth and Factual Truth in Herodotus -- The 'Historical' Persona -- The 'Mimetic' Persona -- General Truths Versus Particular Truths, or Poet Versus Inquirer -- Complicating Truths -- Notes -- Bibliography -- 7 Se non è vero: On the Use of Untrue Stories in Herodotus -- (Apparent) Impartiality -- Se non è vero ... -- Combining Versions: The Mosaic of Truth -- Fictional Historiography and Its Poetic Tradition -- Many Shades of Truth -- Notes -- References