| The Second Sophistic: A Cultural Phenomenon in the Roman Empire Contributor(s): Anderson, Graham (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415099889 ISBN-13: 9780415099882 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $152.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 1993 Annotation: Graham Anderson provides a comprehensive view of the Second Sophistic, the single most important movement in second century literature. Texts from this period, unlike most contemporaneous prose, came to be written as entertainment literature rather than being confined to historical subjects. br br Anderson describes the cultural aspirations sought by Greek sophists in the Roman Empire as well as their skills in public speaking which enabled them to broaden their areas of artistic activity. He presents the sophists' multiple roles as civic celebrities, transmitters of Hellenic culture and literary artists. Although he confirms the image of sophists as vain, contentious, and sometimes superficial, he shows that they were no less fascinating for it. Anderson also emphasizes the integrity of their attempts to preserve the idea of an independent Greek past. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Ancient - Rome - Education | Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities |
| Dewey: 937.07 |
| LCCN: 92047085 |
| Physical Information: 0.88" H x 5.5" W x 8.5" (1.22 lbs) 318 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Italy |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Sophism was the single most important movement in second century literature: prose of that period came to be written as entertainment rather than confined to historical subjects. Graham Anderson shows how the Greek sophists' skills in public speaking enabled them to perform effectively across a variety of activities. As he presents the sophists' roles as civic celebrities side-by-side with their roles as transmitters of Hellenic culture and literary artists, a co-ordinated view of the Second Sophistic as a complex phenomenon emerges. |