Ancient Texts in Late Byzantium (Fourteenth-Fifteenth Centuries): Between Authorial Uses and Compositional Functions
Dr. Florin Leonte (Katedra klasické filologie, Palackého Univerzita v Olomouci)
Přednáška se koná ve čtvrtek 7. prosince 2023 od 18:00 hodin v místnosti C144 (Celetná 20, Praha 1).
Anotace: This paper examines the reception and use of ancient texts in late Byzantine literature, focusing on the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It argues that ancient texts were not only sources of inspiration and models of style but also tools for constructing and expressing authorial identities and agendas. I analyze how late Byzantine writers selected, imitated, and re-enacted ancient texts and personalities, and how they adapted them to their own historical and cultural contexts. Examples from various genres, such as panegyrics, orations, treatises, and histories are discussed. Special attention is paid to the role of Hermogenes’ rhetorical handbook in shaping the reception of ancient texts. The paper also explores the ideological implications of the late Byzantine impersonation of ancient authors like Demosthenes or Pindar, and how they reflected the political and intellectual debates of the time.
