The Second Sophistic (New Surveys In The Classics No. 35) by Timothy Whitmarsh

by Tim Whitmarsh

The 'Second Sophistic' is arguably the fastest-growing area in contemporary classical scholarship. This short, accessible account explores the various ways in which modern scholarship has approached one of the most extraordinary literary phenomena of antiquity, the dazzling oratorical culture of the Early Imperial period. Successive chapters deal with historical and cultural background, sophistic performance, technical treatises (including the issue of Atticism and Asianism), the concept of identity, and the wider impact of sophistic performance on major authors of the time, including Plutarch, Lucian and the Greek novelists.

Genres: Classics

Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Tim Whitemarsh is A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at Cambridge University. He works on all areas of Greek literature and culture, specialising particularly in the world of Greeks under the Roman Empire. He is the author of Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World (2015).

Reviews

[Sanjuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and incredibly helpful book on the rise of the second sophistic - a movement in Hellenistic literature focused on oral performance. As a Lucian fan, I wanted to get more information on the background of the many great writers that fit into this literary style, and this book was an accessible start.

[Alex Cotterill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read it for Lucian coursework. Some great and very relevant facts - although some pages went a bit off on a tangent when it came to other authors.

[Leah Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly rly interesting—I learned a lot