American Journal of Philology Volume 127, Number 4 (Whole Number 508), Winter 2006
CONTENTS
Articles
Grethlein, Jonas, 1978- The Manifold Uses of the Epic Past: The Embassy Scene in Herodotus 7.153-63
Abstract:
In the Syracusan embassy scene (Hdt. 7.153–63), both the Spartan and the Athenian envoys invoke the epic past to buttress their claims to the chief command; against this, Gelon pits the youthful vigour of his recent superpower, calling his army the "spring of Greece." However, intertextual links undermine the claims of all three and evoke the later fights for hegemony. This analysis sheds light on the way Herodotus uses the widespread juxtaposition of the Trojan and Persian Wars and helps to assess the relation of his Histories to non-historiographical genres.
Prauscello, L. (Lucia) Sculpted Meanings, Talking Statues: Some Observations on Posidippus 142.12 A-B (=XIX G-P) Και εν Προθυροις Θηκε Διδασκαλιην
The aim of this paper is to contextualize Posidippus' Kairos epigram (=142 A–B) within the discursive strategies of representation enacted by Hellenistic ecphrastic poetry. From this perspective I will focus on the much-debated line 12 of the Kairos epigram, arguing for a possible metaphorical interpretation of καί ἐν προθύροιc θῆκε διδακαλίην. This interpretation of line 12 sheds light also on Posidippus' involvement in the broader intellectual debates of his time and allows us to contextualize his epigram against the roughly coeval Epicurean reflection on the "right time."
Osgood, Josiah, 1974- Eloquence under the Triumvirs
This paper explores oratory at Rome after the death of Caesar. It examines the three main sources for the period, Plutarch, Appian, and Dio, who suggest that an outspoken oratory on affairs of state was no longer possible, and then less familiar sources, which reveal that speeches still were made, sometimes concerning affairs of state. Though it was difficult to criticize the triumvirs (as the few known efforts at protest show), aspiring orators managed to showcase talent and display doctrina and diligentia, if not libertas. Oratory did not so much decline in the triumviral period as adapt to new circumstances.
Montiglio, Silvia, 1960- Should the Aspiring Wise Man Travel? A Conflict in Seneca's Thought
This article examines the connection between traveling and wisdom in Seneca's writings. It argues that Seneca is ambivalent vis-à-vis traveling: on the one hand, he deems the activity unnecessary or even dangerous, insofar as it is at odds with mental focus and challenges the ideal of happiness as "home" (domestica felicitas); on the other, he admires those who travel for the sake of knowledge and connects the mobility of the body with the "cosmic flight" of the mind. In line with a long-established tradition, Seneca views travel as the first step towards philosophical inquiry. The ambivalence extends to the assessment of imperialistic use of travel. Though Seneca loudly condemns it as a manifestation of greed, he also shows admiration for several Roman conquerors.
Brief Mention
Hallett, Judith P., 1944- Believing in Yesterday while Living for Today
Porter, David H., 1935- Provoking a Conversation
Book Reviews
Shelton, Jo-Ann. The Talking Greeks: Speech, Animals, and the Other in Homer, Aeschylus, and Plato (review)
Miller, Paul Allen, 1959- The World of Roman Song: From Ritualized Speech to Social Order (review)
Casali, Sergio. Reading After Actium: Vergil's Georgics, Octavian, and Rome (review)
Gruen, Erich S. Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome (review)
Books Received
Index to Volume 127, 2006