Time and Narrative in Ancient Historiography: The 'Plupast' from Herodotus to AppianJonas Grethlein, Christopher B. Krebs Historians often refer to past events which took place prior to their narrative's proper past- that is, they refer to a 'plupast'. This past embedded in the past can be evoked by characters as well as by the historian in his own voice. It can bring into play other texts, but can also draw on lieux de mémoire or on material objects. The articles assembled in this volume explore the manifold forms of the plupast in Greek and Roman historians from Herodotus to Appian. The authors demonstrate that the plupast is a powerful tool for the creation of historical meaning. Moreover, the acts of memory embedded in the historical narrative parallel to some degree the historian's activity of recording the past. The plupast thereby allows Greek and Roman historians to reflect on how (not) to write history and gains metahistorical significance. In shedding new light on the temporal complexity and the subtle forms of self-conscious reflection in the works of ancient historians, Time and Narrative in Ancient Historiography significantly enhances our understanding of their narrative art. |
Contents
Chapter 1 The historians plupast | 1 |
Chapter 2 Speakers past and plupast | 17 |
Chapter 3 The mythic plupast in Herodotus | 35 |
Chapter 4 The use and abuse of history in the Plataean debate Thuc 35268 | 57 |
Chapter 5 The plupast in Xenophons Hellenica | 76 |
Chapter 6 Magna mihi copia est memorandi | 95 |
Chapter 7 Negotiating the plupast | 113 |
Chapter 8 M Manlius Capitolinus | 139 |
Chapter 9 Repetita bellorum civilium memoria | 156 |
Chapter 10 Mimesis and the plupast in Plutarchs Lives | 175 |
Chapter 11 War stories | 199 |
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234 | |
248 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action Agesilaus allusion ancient Appian argue argument Athenians Athens audience authorial battle Bellum Boedeker Caesar Cambridge Capitolium Cato chapter characters civil claim context contrast Croesus deeds Delcourt Dionysius Dionysius of Halicarnassus discussion earlier embedded episode evokes example exempla exemplum further genre Greece Greek Grethlein Hellenica Heracles Herodotean Herodotus historian historical narrative historiography Homer imitate inscription kaª Krebs literary Livy Livy’s Manlius Capitolinus Marincola Melians memory metahistorical metaphorical mimesis mimetic moral myth mythic past mythic plupast narrator nÓn Oxford parallel passage Pelling Peloponnesian Persian Wars perspective Pharsalus Philippi Pisistratus Plataean debate Plataeans plupast Plutarch Plutarchan political Pompey pr¼v present readers recall recent reference republic rhetorical Roman history Rome Rome’s Romulus Sallust Sappho Sicels Socles Solon Spartans speakers speech story t¼n Tacitus tän Tegeans Thebans Thuc Thucydides to±v toÆv toÓ tradition Trojan victory voice Xenophon Xerxes