Epistolary Fiction In Ancient Greek Literature

Ancient epistolary fiction is a still largely under-explored field of research, at the intersection of studies on epistolography and on pseudepigraphy. The present volume sketches out a broad panorama of ancient fiction in letters. It covers a large period of time up to late Antiquity, with a main focus on letters from the imperial era. Epistolary fiction is examined as a mainly Greek phenomenon (there are few Latin equivalents) that was characteristic of both pagan and Christian literature. The material investigated falls within two categories: fictional letter collections from well-known authors of the Second Sophistic and their successors (Lucian, Alciphron, Philostratus, Aristaenetus); letters attributed to famous historical or legendary characters (pseudonymous letters). Focusing on the specific features of epistolary fiction, the book aims to analyse its forms, its functions as well as its effects. It gathers a series of 11 state-of-the art essays, all tackling the same important issues: the manuscript and printed tradition, the form of epistolary fictions and the universe they build, the arrangement of the letters and their overall structure, the relation between the author and his external readers.

A comprehensive look at the use of imaginary letters in Greek literature, first published in 2001.

Epistolary Narratives presents detailed literary readings of a wide range of Greek literary letter collections across a range of genres, cultural backgrounds, and time periods, leading collectively towards a better appreciation of Greek epistolary collections as a unique literary phenomenon.

The book explores a relatively unfamiliar and under-appreciated area of Greek literature, imaginary letters written between about 100 BC and 500 AD. They are imaginary or fictional either because both writer and recipient are invented, or because they are attributed to real historical characters. In the latter group, the real authors are unknown, whereas we know at least the names of those in the first group. Letter writing, real and fictional, was an important activity in this period, which was also the time that the sophists or professional rhetoricians were very influential in the political and educational life particularly of the Greek east. Many of our authors clearly were sophists practising their skills, especially in character portrayal. This selection opens a window on an attractive, lively, and often amusing area in the history of Greek prose. All the letters are translated, and the commentaries provide both grammatical help and background information.

Chapter INTRODUCTION -- chapter 1 CLASSICAL GREEK LITERARY LETTERS -- chapter 2 HELLENISTIC LITERARY LETTERS -- chapter 3 Letters and prose fictions of the Second Sophistic -- chapter 4 THE EPISTOLARY NOVELLA -- chapter 5 PSEUDO-HISTORICAL LETTER COLLECTIONS OF THE SECOND SOPHISTIC -- chapter 6 INVENTED CORRESPONDENCES, IMAGINARY VOICES.

First published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book explores epistolary fiction as a major phenomenon across Europe from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century.

Ceccarelli offers a history of the development of letter writing in ancient Greece from the archaic to the early Hellenistic period. Highlighting the specificity of letter-writing, the volume looks at documentary letters and traces the role of embedded letters in the texts of the ancient historians, in drama, and in the speeches of the orators.