By Jeroen Lauwers
How is it attainable that glossy students have labelled Maximus of Tyre, a second-century CE performer of philosophical orations, as a sophist or a ‘half-philosopher’, whereas his personal self-presentation is that of a real thinker? If we take Maximus’ declare to philosophical authority heavily, his case can deepen our realizing of the dynamic nature of Imperial philosophy. via a discursive research of twelve Imperial intellectuals along Maximus’ dialexeis, the writer proposes an interpretative framework to evaluate the aim in the back of the illustration of philosophy, rhetoric, and sophistry in Maximus’ oeuvre. this can be therefore as but the 1st book-length try at situating the ancient verbal exchange approach implicit within the surviving Maximean texts within the concurrent context of the Imperial highbrow international.
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Additional resources for Philosophy, Rhetoric, and Sophistry in the High Roman Empire: Maximus of Tyre and Twelve Other Intellectuals
Example text
38 It is important to bear in mind that philosophy was often not merely represented as an intellectual pastime, but rather as a proper way of life. Ethics was thus a crucial element in Imperial philosophy. The most renowned illustration of this concrete philosophical influence on the lives of Imperial citizens is probably Marcus Aurelius’ overt predilection for Stoic philosophy, which immediately proves that philosophy could even affect the Roman Emperor himself. More than rhetoric, which was also practised quite extensively in Rome, philosophy was almost exclusively associated with Greek cultural heritage, for Greece was the land of the Thales, Parmenides, Pythagoras, Empedocles, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus, Diogenes, and many others, who all determined philosophy’s eventual outlook.
In the case of Aristotle, probably his no-longer-extant dialogues are meant. Notice also that the very concept of the ‘mean’ (to meson) in style is probably inspired by Aristotelian ethical concepts. h. Verb. 4. 67 Even though this verbal style sets itself apart from the traditional rhetorical schooling, it undeniably makes use of self-conscious rhetorical methods to persuade the audience of the philosophical message in question. When it comes to more conventional rhetorical methods, there appears to have been a class of philosophers who saw no problem in combining the practice of philosophy and teachings in rhetoric.
We have already argued how, in the post-Platonic Academy and the Aristotelian school, it was conceived as thoroughly philosophical to debate philosophical dilemmas in a rhetorical fashion, in which the principle of persuasion was cherished as an important criterion. 61 As appears from the collections of progymnasmata which we still have from this period, moreover, the thesis was a widely used training device not just for some philosophers, but also for aspiring Greek and Roman rhetoricians. Other elements of rhetorical schooling obviously point to the inherent importance of the philosophical tradition for the training of good rhetoricians.