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The paper explores the argumentation from probability in Cicero’s speech Pro Roscio comoedo, concerning the financial litigation between a famous Roman actor Quintus Roscius and an unknown businessman Fannius Chaerea. The Roman rhetorician had analysed the question of probability in his earlier dissertation De inventione, which influenced his art of persuasion. Because of lack of the strong proofs the arguments from probability played a great role in the defence of Roscius. Cicero used different types of likelihood arguments: syllogistic argument from probability, credibilia, incredibilia, verisimilia, as well as the arguments from ethos and kedros. He seems to be here aware of the Greek theory of argumentation present in the writings of Aristotle and Rhetorica ad Alexandrum. The Roman orator recalled often the truth and juxtaposed it with the probability. Cicero employed likelihood proofs in his speech, both in argumentation and in refutation.

This paper analyses the relation between the authorial and textual subject of Ode I 9, Vides ut alta, and Ode II 19, Bacchum in remotis, as a means of transition from a figurative represented world to an author’s experience of the creative process, understood as Horace’s attempt to capture the creator’s natural need to transform this key experience into an act of poetic communication. As a starting point for analysis, the construction of the subject-bard (vates) and the topics of poetic frenzy (ingenium, insania, mania) shaping the poet’s image as a medium between the divine sphere of inspiration and the poetic communication turned towards the sender were adopted.

Few debates in modern academia are as heated as the one among scholars who consider the arrival of bubonic plague in Constantinople in the spring of 542 as a demographic and social disaster and those who argue for less tumultuous outcomes. Whatever side one stands on in the current discussion, the pandemic’s immediate impact on the administration, economy, politics, society and religious culture within Constantinople and the wider empire seems clear. In this article I will suggest that increased competition amongst Constantinople’s elites for a shrunken pool of suitable brides and grooms for their sons and daughters was one hitherto underappreciated result of the pandemic. The sixth-century eastern Roman historian, Procopius of Caesarea, offers ample evidence not only about the devastation wrought by the bubonic plague but also its impact on the political alliances in Constantinople. His digressions in Secret History concerning marital politicking amongst Constantinople’s elites provide evidence of this impact. Capitalizing on advances in our knowledge about Procopius both as an author and historical figure, I will analyze his writings on three levels: as history, literature and propaganda. By pondering what motivated Procopius to focus on these marital alliances and, moreover, pondering links between them, the paper offers some revisionist takes on these digressions, both as literary devices and as actual events.

Modern understanding of the emperor Justinian’s protracted war against the Gothic regime in Italy and Sicily is based almost entirely on the account of Procopius of Caesarea from 535 to 552. The chronology of the war therefore depends on the interpretation of Procopius’s narrative in the fundamental books by J.B. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire (1923) and E. Stein, Histoire du Bas-Empire (1949), which underpin all modern accounts. Both Bury and Stein presumed that Procopius’ Gothic war year ran uniformly from the end of June of one year to the end of June of the next. This paper aims to demonstrate that the Procopian Gothic war year did not run at a fixed time from June to June each year, but from the beginning of the annual campaign season (normally March) to the end of the following winter, in clear imitation of his model Thucydides. Also explored are the implications for redating key episodes of the Gothic War

Allegorical Interpretation and Place of Myth in Plato The paper raises the issue of allegorical interpretation, and its role and place in Plato’s philosophy. The first part of the paper shows the theoretical findings and explains the use of terms aίnigma, sýmbolon, hypónoia in Plato’s philosophy. The next part explores Plato’s attitude toward allegorical interpretation and the function of myth (mūthos) in his philosophy. Two important points are presented here regarding Plato’s critique. They serve as the criterion for the validation of myth in the ideal state: the role of myth in paideia and its relation to philosophical discourse.

Epistles as a Medium of Late Ancient Literary Debates. The Case of Sidonius Apollinaris The aim of the paper is to show the fundamental role that the epistles played in late ancient literary life and intellectual exchange. The main source for this phenomenon are nine books of the letters of Sidonius Apollinaris (430-486), an important representative of 5th c. Gallic high culture, who was at the same time an important Roman politician and the Catholic church hierarch. In the present paper I am concentrating on the sources showing an image of Roman literary culture (still rich and strong at that time) in Northern and Central Gaul, the territories specially endangered by barbaric incursions. The state of affairs in these areas is less known, because the scholarly efforts concentrate on studying the refined intellectual and literary culture of Southern Gaul with its great city centers in Lyon, Narbonne, Bordeaux and Vienne. The examples presented here are, obviously, just a small selection of the great number of sources presented by Sidonius.

The following paper discusses the way in which female beauty was conceived of in ancient Greek culture, especially in the Hesiodic description of the creation of Pandora. As I argue, some of the aspects of this creature that, according to some feminist academic writers, might have resulted from an unsympathetic perception of women, as a matter of fact, may be a part of a positively charged image of an ideal woman in Hesiodic epics. The alleged artificiality and superficiality of Pandora were most probably not meant to compromise her truthfulness or fertility, but instead were intended to attract males.

Relationes 10−12 stand out from Q.A. Symmachus’ reports written to give an account of his activities at the position of the prefect of Rome (praefectus urbis Romae). These three relationes were written and sent by Symmachus to Roman emperors to inform them of the death of V.A. Praetextatus, who was a famous and influential Roman dignitary as well as Symmachus’ close friend. Rel. 10−12 are not only thematically related, but also – unlike the rest of the reports − clearly marked with personal and laudatory accents and thus their nature significantly differs from the formal documents sent to emperors from the chancellery of an imperial administrative dignitary. In this paper, we aim at presenting Rel. 10−12 as an elogium, in which in three separate reports Symmachus included a coherent eulogy of Praetextatus and presented his idealized portrait tinged with his own personal feelings, underpinned by the aspects of conservative ideology cultivated then within the circles of the Roman senatorial aristocracy.

The aim of the paper is to discuss the phenomenon of the re-use of Nuragic sacred wells (pozzi sacri) during the Punic period (c. 500–238 BC) in Sardinia. Although the Nuragic settlement system and power structures ceased to exist by the Late Iron Age, the sanctuaries – built primarily in the Final Bronze Age (c. 1200/1150–900 BC) and the Early Iron Age (c. 900–750 BC) – were still used for ritual purposes, as demonstrated by finds from the sacred wells of Orri (Arborea), San Salvatore (Gonnosno) and Cuccuru Is Arrius (Cabras). This phenomenon is analyzed in the context of cultural changes which took place in Sardinia during the period of Carthaginian domination, such as the emergence of hybridized culture with indigenous and Punic elements.

Heraclitus' Sense of Logos in the Context of Greek Root 'Leg-' in Epic Poets The following paper aims to explore some Heraclitus’ fragments that could entail a personified conception of logos. The first part of the paper shows the analysis of the authentic sense of the Greek root ‘leg-’. In this part I followed philologists (among others Chantraine, Narecki) and philosopher Heidegger, who was a great adherent of understanding the original sources of Heraclitus’ philosophy. The closing part points to Heraclitus’ fragments in which the term “logos” is used.

Voreki tomu vremeni… Otec i syn Faddej Francevič Zelinskij i Adrian Ivanovic Piotrovskij The present paper analyses how the biography of Tadeusz Zielinski, one of the most famous Polish classicists, was influenced by the history of Poland, Russia and Germany. (He was living in Sanct-Petersburg, Leipzig and Warsaw.) On the basis of his Autobiography and Diary I am trying to seek his real personality apart from the common knowledge about the famous scholar with outstanding publications and thousands of students. In his private papers Zielinski had openly described his “colorful” student life and love affairs, but he concealed his illegitimate children… One of them – Adrian Petrovsky – was a classicist, translator and dramatist. He was the first translator who translated all Aristophanic Comedies into Russian (1934 – first edition). After the premiere of the ballet The Limpid Stream (with music by Dmitri Shostakovich, libretto by Petrovsky), censors banned the piece and Petrovsky was attacked in a “Pravda” editorial. Shortly after that he was arrested by the NKVD (November 1937) and shot in prison (15 November 1937).

Hidden Author of the Corpus Dionysacium - Authenticity, Rejection, and Apohasis in Historical Context The following paper aims to show that explanation of Pseudo‑Dionysius’ identity has importance to the interpretation of the Corpus Dionysiacum philosophy. I investigate the turn in the Dionysian issue that took place in the history of research on the author’s true identity: from plain recognition of Dionysius first‑century authorship, through its negation, back to acknowledgement of his relation to the times of Apostles as significant. The first part of the paper includes introduction into chosen aspects of the history of the research into the Corpus Dionysiacum author’s identity. The closing part refers to the conception of the contemporary scholars Ch. M. Stang and W. Riordan, who have tried to understand the meaning of the unknown author’s pseudonym as important to interpretation of all his writings.The scholars’ assumption is to reveal that the author and his work arecomplementary elements, and that separation causes some loss.

Classical Culture and European Identity: Pagan Antiquity in the Writings of Pope Benedict XVI The paper analyses the attitude of Joseph Ratzinger, pope Benedict XVI, towards classical culture and tradition. A careful analysis of the pope’s writings makes it obvious that he addresses Europe’s classical heritage with respect and deep understanding. A number of case studies analysed in the paper allows the reader to see a variety of perspectives on classical antiquity, present in the writings of Benedict XVI.

Penalties in Action in Classical Athens. A Preliminary Survey This paper attempts to look at the inner workings of the punitive system in ancient Athens. After a brief survey of the range of penalties available in Classical Athens (capital punishment, exile and outlawry, disenfranchisement, financial penalties, imprisonment, corporal penalties), it proceeds first to examine their nature (as they frequently fail to meet our criteria of punishment), and then to map them on the substance vs. procedure controversy regarding the Athenian legal system. The last two sections of the paper are devoted to the manner in which penalties were imposed (summary punishment, punishment by sentence, “automatic” punishment) and executed (private vs. public execution of court verdicts; coercive measures etc.).

Ancient Topics in Napoleon’s Proclamations to the army The present paper analyses the ancient topics and elements of rhetoric in Napoleon Bonaparte’s proclamations to the army, as they come down to our times in his correspondence and memoirs. The main focus is on the exhortations issued during the early campaigns in Italy and Egypt, since they employ this kind of imagery to the greatest extent. The aim of the paper is to show that the content of these short proclamations, which had obvious propagandistic meaning, was deeply rooted in the Classical education, as well as in the French republican imagery, and also art and literature of the period, all together which shaped the early years of the prospective Emperor.

The following paper deals with the mythological story about Apollo’s fight against a she-snake at Pytho, where he eventually builds a sanctuary – the Delphic Oracle. First, it is attempted to decipher the terms Pytho, Delphi and Omphalos. A symbolism revolving around an underlying theme of birth is considered. Then, the stories about Apollo and about Kadmos, as well as a motif in Pherecydes’ theogony, and the Anatolian Illuyanka Myth are being presented as subjects of a comparative analysis. This leads to the proposal that all four narratives have a common origin in Western Anatolia or Pre-Greek Hellas.

A well-known tradition has it that after the victory of the Greeks over the Persian army at the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E.) one of the Athenians ran forty kilometres from Marathon to Athens and died soon after his arrival in the city, after giving the good news. However, the story is more complicated than it seems, and several issues have claimed the attention of scholars, such as what the Marathon runner’s name was, what form of greeting he used and whether the episode really happened or not. The first part of my paper offers a reconsideration of the extant sources in order to express my point of view on the abovementioned issues. The second part aims at showing a selection of parallel passages which could possibly prove useful in trying to illustrate how the legend of the Marathon runner evolved into the shape it assumed in the Lucianean account, which is still considered as the ‘official’ version of the story.

In this paper, I am attempting to present a different perspective on a famous passage from Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War (Thuc. 3.69–3.85), on the so called stasis in Corcyra island. Many scholars have scrutinized that passage in order to define what the stasis was or to fit it into the historian’s work. My aim is to elucidate the concrete case in Corcyra, not the model of the stasis in general. In this article, I analyse the source to find the answers to the main question, that is, who really was fighting in Corcyra (looking beyond simple dichotomy, which is stressed by Thucydides). I elaborate on the origins of the conflict, the role of individuals, the chief and background groups engaged in the strife and the process of gradation of the stasis, where the neutral status is practically impossible. I am trying to interpret this case of stasis not only as a struggle between democrats with oligarchs, but (what is equally important) as a commixture of different people or bodies of people, who often, in fact, were merely random dwellers (not only citizens) of the island.

Kostas Ouranis (1890–1953), a Greek poet and essayist, lesser known abroad, was regarded as one of the first to introduce “travel writing” in Greece. As a correspondent of different newspapers, he travelled to many countries in Europe and abroad and recorded his impressions in travel books, of which the best known is his travelogue on Spain, Sol y sombra (1934). However, the book that is of special interest as regards the Greek perspective of the writer, is Travels in Greece (Ταξίδια στην Ελλάδα, 1949), where Ouranis describes impressions from his travels in his homeland which took place in 1930. In the present paper, basing on the brief chapter on Monemvasia from the above-mentioned book, I will shed some light on the reception of Byzantium in Ouranis’ view, trying to answer, among others, the question whether the writer conveys any specific knowledge of the subject. In my opinion, his view of Byzantine heritage deserves special attention as regards the broad framework of the European approach to the legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire. Firstly, because his impressions on this Byzantine town constitute a vivid example of a clearly Greek perspective in this regard, which is relatively poorly known. Secondly, his deeply personal account on Monemvasia reveals the general attitude of the Greeks to their legacy and as such it may be regarded as a characteristic miniature which, like a lens, focuses their approach to the past.

The following paper explores some possible connections between Greek and Mesopotamian child-killing demons. First, the main Sumerian/Akkadian demoness Kamadme Lamaštu is being characterized and set in comparison with the lil-demons and their singularisation Lilith. Briefly, their modus operandi is being studied with a focus on strangulation. It is being proposed that the reoccurring meme of children being strangled by these demons comes from a misinterpretation of the anatomy of the human body which manifested in the belief in a rāṭu in Mesopotamia or ὁδός in Greece. This organ was believed to be a “channel” that connects women’s genital system with the respiratory tract. With that in mind, some Greek and Roman demons are being considered as potentially being derived from the aforementioned ancient Near Eastern supernatural beings. Hence, the proposal is put forward that the Greek Hesperides, the Theban Sphinx, the Lesbian Gello as well as the Greco-Roman Stri(n)x have in fact been adopted by the Occident from the East.

Instructive Story About How a Byzantine Princess Bravely Looked Deep into the Abyss of Oblivion Anna Comnena’s beginning of the Prologue to her Alexiad is a fine literary and rhetorical piece. It is about the problem how destructive the passing of time is, and for which the only obstacle can be to consolidate the achievements of the past in a literary work. Such a line of thought was usually interpreted in the terms of the author’s rhetorical topos. Most frequently, this topos occurs in ancient historiography whose formal features were continued by Greek historians of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium). While not deyning that there is much to recommend in such an approach, the present paper tries also to pay attention to Anna’s life and stress the authenticity of her emotions. In this light the Preface to the Alexiad, while remaining an example of magnificent rhetorical argumentation, can also be seen as an authentic attempt ‘to stop’ time, an attempt made by an aging woman, conscious that this is the only chance to give meaning to her own life by preserving it in the memory of future generations, so, in a sense, to ‘immortalize’ it, given that it will be told in a written story, capable of surviving in time.

The Theban Flood Legend The Ogygian Flood is one of the lesser known flood myths. Unfortunately, there are only late and very vage accounts of it. Certain passages from Homer and Hesiod however allow a tentative reconstruction of the Theban deluge. Furthermore, a comparatistic approach gives the opportunity to adduce earlier, more elaborate oriental flood myths in order to get a glimpse of some of the facettes of the Theban adaptation of these myths. The paper includes some remarks on the etymology of ‘Ogyges’ from Gr. Ὠκεανός and Hit. ḫuḫḫaš, as well as the consideration that the demon Pašittu (Lamaštu) is in fact the Theban sphinx and therefore, Hera should be identified with Nintu.

Standards of Cultural Behaviour of the Romans in the Light of Sidonius Apollinaris' Letters The cultural and political situation of the Gallo-Roman elite in the 5th century CE, during the period of the great barbarian invasions, became the reason for the emergence, among its members, of certain standards of behaviour; their aim was to preserve, cultivate and develop the Roman identity as well as a sense of belonging to the elite cultural circle, now endangered by barbaric chaos. The paper presents selected examples of such standards of behaviour in spheres both private and public; they serve as an exemplification of conscious actions and choices designed to preserve traditional Roman system of values

Outline of the History of Classical Philology at the Jagiellonian University This paper aims to familiarize contemporary students and scholars of classical philology with the profiles of prominent Polish classical philologists related to the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. It contains biographical notes and description of works of most important classicists at the Jagiellonian University, who lived in the 19th and in the 20th century. The scholars presented in the article are: Kazimierz Morawski, Tadeusz Sinko, Seweryn Hammer, Leon Sternbach, Wincenty Lutosławski, Ryszard Gansiniec, Stanisław Skimina, Władysław Madyda, Romuald Turasiewicz, Adam Stefan Miodoński, Gustaw Edward Przychocki, Władysław Strzelecki, Kazimierz Kumaniecki, Mieczysław Brożek, Marian Plezia, Kazimierz Korus, Józef Korpanty and Stanisław Stabryła.

Zur Herkunft des griechischen Wortes ΣΦΊΓΞ No convincing etymology for the Greek term “sphinx” has been found so far. Nevertheless there are three explanations that are worth consideration, these are: one possible derivation from the Egyptian language (šsp ‘nḫ), one from Sanskrit (sphíj) and one from Greek (sphingo). In the following paper all of them are being presented and evaluated. The author dismisses the first two possibilities, opting for the Greek hypothesis by arguing that the Theban sphinx developed out of a Semitic demon called ḥnqt/ ḫnqt (‘the Strangler’). The argumentation includes linguistic evidence to support this claim.

Revenge of Augustus: Caesar, Octavian and History in Neil Gaiman’s "August" The paper discusses the reception of Roman history in Neil Gaiman’s graphic short story August. It concentrates on the analysis of narrative approach and the ways in which the history of Rome, Caesar and Augustus has been interwoven with Gaiman’s fictional world.

Pliny the Younger and the Art of Narration In this paper I try to examine some of Pliny’s well known letters as pieces of literary fiction. The main interest here is not the authenticity of facts presented, but some literary techniques that Pliny uses in order to make his descriptions more vivid.

Motif of the Lamp in Book V of the "Palatine Anthology" In the present paper I focus on the occurrences of the motif of the lamp (λύχνος) in the fifth book of the Palatine Anthology. It turns out on numerous oc­casions the lamp is not merely an element of night scenery but it also performs functions typical of people or gods. An analysis of twelve epigrams from Book V shall demonstrate the variety of contexts in which the lamp appears and give a few remarks about the language used in the poems in which this motif occurs.

Augustan Poets on the Roman-Parthian Treaty of 20 BC From the moment Rome established contacts with the Parthian empire in the 1st century BC, its relations with the eastern neighbour became one of the most important points of Roman foreign policy. Attempts to subjugate Parthia ended in Rome’s crushing defeat at Carrhae in 53 BC. Having taken over power in the Roman Republic, Octavian Augustus became much more active in his oriental policy, wishing to erase the shame brought upon Rome by the defeat. The peace treaty signed in 20 BC was the Emperor’s diplomatic success and was presented as a great triumph by the Roman propaganda. In this paper, I analyse several frag-ments referring to this agreement in the works of the Augustan poets Horace, Propertius and Ovid. The works, written over almost three decades, present this event from various perspectives. On the one hand, they show a strong intermixture of politics and literature, and on the other hand, great talent and artistic skill of the poets writing creatively about issues which were current in Rome at the time.

Stylistic Category of Clarity (Σαφήνεια, Explanatio, Perspicuitas, Claritas) in the Eyes of Greek and Roman Writers The concept of clarity and the closely related idea of colour were of great importance not only for the formulation of classical ideas connected with the theory of beaux arts, but also for the creation of concepts related to the an­cient academic and philosophical discourse, mainly via the use of light/shadow/colour metaphors to express and envisage the problems discussed. These were of special importance for what is commonly referred to as ancient literary aesthet­ics, which is the product of ideas originating in classical philosophical literary theory, practice and critique. It is to this very area of aesthetic and literary mean­ings of clarity that I would like to devote the present paper. However, the bulk of preserved testimonies, both direct (i.e. directly and normatively formulated) and indirect (i.e. resulting from the immanent poetics of the work), as well as the fact that they are multi-layered, compel me to narrow my analysis to the concept of clarity (σαφήνεια, claritas) as a stylistic category in ancient rhetoric and poetics, based exclusively on concepts expressed by classical Greek and Latin authors.

"Akritas" – Nikos Kazantzakis' Little-Known Unrealized Epic Project Kazantzakis’ Odyssey – apart from the abundance of philosophical as well as ideological influences of many different sources which the writer tried to unify into a universal cosmotheory – constitutes a large-scale attempt by a Modern Greek writer to respond to Homeric epic. Yet, the author of Zorba the Greek sketched another epic composition that, according to his vision, aimed at reaching further than his magnum opus. His ambition was to encompass the long-lasting period between Ancient and Modern Greece, namely that of the Byzantine empire and its radiating influence on Greek consciousness and identity. He entitled his project Akritas, thus directly alluding to the only epic poem in Byzantine Greek literature, Digenes Akritas, and its protagonist as well as to acritic songs from Cyprus, where the latter’s name appears. In the present paper I would like to shed some light on Kazantzakis’ approach to Byzantium and its significance in defining the Greek identity through this unfinished sketch that the writer in fact never began.

Passing on Wisdom: Plato on Wisdom and Memory By means of an analysis of the tension between orality and literacy the following paper tries to discover how Plato understood the task of transmit­ting wisdom. Considering his vehement critique both of poetry and of writing, a sharper understanding of the nature of Platonic wisdom came about. Wisdom seems to be beyond all appearances and can be achieved only through dialogue within meaningful relationships.

Images of Sculptures in the Poetry of Giorgis Manousakis The imagery of fragmentary sculptures, statues and stones appears often in Modern Greek Poetry in connection with the question of Modern Greeks’ relation to ancient Greek past and legacy. Many famous poets such as the first Nobel Prize winner in literature, George Seferis (1900-1971), as well as Yannis Ritsos (1909-1990) frequently use sculptural imagery in order to allude to, among other things, though in different approaches, the classical past and its existence in modern conscience as a part of cultural identity. In the present paper we focus on some selected poems by a well-known Cretan poet Giorgis Manousakis (1933-2008) from his collection “Broken Sculptures and Bitter Plants” (Σπασμένα αγάλματα και πικροβότανα, 2005), trying to shed some light on his very peculiar usage of sculpture imagery in comparison with the earlier Greek poets. We attempt to categorize Manousakis’ metaphors and allusions regarding the symbolism of sculptures in correlation with existential motives of his poetry and the poet’s attitude to the classical legacy.

Late Ancient collegia poetarum According to Sidonius Appolinaris The paper discusses the image of collegia poetarum in 5th c. Gaul, as presented in the poetry of Sidonius Apollinaris, one of the leading poets of the period. Thanks to his poetic works we have access to the information on the writings of a number of important authors, whose literary efforts have been lost, as well as to numerous facets of literary life in 5th c. Gaul.

Literary Adaptations of Jewish Sages in the Works of Josephus Flavius The paper focuses on the Judeo-Hellenic writers composing in times of Roman occupation, especially on works created by Josephus Flavius. On the basis of his re-written version of events described in the Bible, one can observe various methods used by Josephus and other authors to accommodate their history for the needs of Greco-Roman world. One such method is depicting notable characters from the Bible in a more understandable way, particularly different prophets from the Old Testament. Those Jewish sages are described surprisingly alike to Greek philosophers, orators and commanders – figures that were well-known to Greeks and admired by them. The article presents specific example for that kind of adaptations, presenting at the same time differences between prophets from the times of the Second Temple and those from before the Babylonian thralldom. Understanding these differences is essential for explaining how Jewish scholars could find a common ground with Greek philosophers.

Epimenides de Creta en el relato de un liberal Espanol del. s. XIX In my paper I examine a literary work, virtually unknown, of the Spanish journalist, writer and liberal politician of the late nineteenth century, Nilo Fabra, who builds an imaginary story with the background of the island of Crete. He describes the situation of the island during the period, in which Crete is going to be liberated from the Ottomans by the Western powers. The writer uses the dialogue between a well-known personality of the ancient Crete and an occasional traveller to describe allegorically the moment in which the events take place and its relationship with the past times of the island.

Arist. Rhet. 2.23.1398B and the Cult of Pythagoras In the present article I would like to focus on three things: the usefulness of Alcidamas’s fragment (cited in Arist. Rhet. 2.23.1398b) for the procedure of establishing when the cult of poets/intellectuals began, the suitability of the terminology in scholarly papers which refer to the problem, and the validity of the information about Pythagoras. In conclusion it is proposed that there are no existing testimonies supporting the (weak) hypothesis that the phrase καὶ Ἰταλιῶται Πυθαγόραν featuring in manuscripts of Rhetoric is authentic. Few late testimonies are either too vague or they indicate only Crotone and Metapontum, and not Greeks from the Italian peninsula in general. Such a perspective is not typical (to say the least) and at most reveals that the mention of respecting Pythagoras by those Greeks is not to be trusted fully. In the form as we know it, the phrase does not harmonize neither with the times of Alcidamas nor with the passage quoted by Aristotle.

Some Intellectuals in Tacitus and Pliny the Younger The paper provides a (far from exhaustive) overview of references found in Tacitus’ historical works (Annales, Historiae, Agricola) and in Pliny the Younger’s Epistulae to people who may be defined as “intellectuals”, notably to orators, historians and philosophers. The historian Tacitus is, in general terms, somewhat uninterested in those people in their capacity as men of letters; his focus is, rather, on their involvement in Roman politics (but he makes some interesting side-comments on their intellectual activity). Pliny, on the other hand, is more inclined to emphasize their mental pursuits and, also, to praise their achievements. However, a closer reading of passages devoted to such intellectuals in the Epistulae reveals that he uses them to promote his own image as an ideal Roman, devoted not only to studia but also to officia publica and officia amicorum, and an upholder of humanitas.

"Tu dici che di Silvio il parente [...] ad immortale secolo ando" (inf., II, 13-15): Il protagonista della Divina Comedia di Dante come "Nuovo Enea" The protagonist of the famous poem of Dante Alighieri has a lot in common with the Virgilian Aeneas: both have a mission to accomplish, but its meaning is profoundly different: political in the case of the son of Anchises and universal in that of Dante-pilgrim. Aeneas will encounter, in the Otherworld, his father and from him he will learn about his own future as well as that of the Roman Empire of which he will become a protoplast. The disciple of Virgil in Dante will know a posthumous destiny of Man with the purpose of showing mankind the way of moral and spiritual renewal. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the figures of “old” and “new” Aeneas, involving an intertextual approach to the theme of their katabasis. The illustration of the similarities and differences between them takes into consideration the changed cultural and spiritual context and the aspiration of the Italian poet to become a “new” Virgil whose masterpiece is superior to the Aeneid both in content and form.

Rhetoric, Wit and Humour in Catullus 44 The paper analyses Catullus’s c. 44, a witty and ironic poem on the frigidity of the rhetorical style of a certain Sestius’. The aim of the analysis is to point at the relationship between c. 44 and other Catullan poems concerning the themes of friendship/companionship and literature. Comic elements, especially in the presentation of Catullus’ parasitus-like behaviour, will also be taken into account.

Cicero de re publica eiusque rectoribus quid putaverit The paper analyses Cicero’s attitude towards the Roman republic and its celebrated leaders, such as Cato Major. The opinion of Cicero on certain aspects of proper Republican leadership and the attitude of the populace towards them (e.g. the problem of invidia) are also examined.

Case of the Angels: The Relevance of the Research by Classical Scholar John Cuthbert Lawson (1874-1919) on Modern Greek Culture In my paper I focus on the well-known John Cuthbert Lawson’s study about Modern Greek folklore (1910) and I venture to verify if it may be regarded as a reliable source of information about Greek folk beliefs. I base my argument on the eschatological remarks Lawson made concerning the personification of Death – Charos and his relationship to the Christian Angels. Confronting Lawson’s views and his source material with other similar demotic songs, mainly from the collections he had had access to, I try to show in what way the older collections of folk-songs might have distorted or falsified the eschatological images of Charos and the Angels, and what he overlooked while analyzing the sources. I also shed some light on possible influences of Byzantine orthodoxy on Modern Greek folk tradition to which Greek demotic songs belong.

"Grammatica" of Emmanuel Alvarez SJ and its Editions in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th Century The paper briefly characterizes the Jesuit education in the Polish-Lituanian Commonwealth in 16th century and the first Latin grammar book by Emmanuel Alvarez SJ used in colleges. The reader is presented with a brief description of the Grammatica of Alvarez and its editions in Poland till the end of the 16th century.

The Written Text in the Athenian Political Culture in the First Decades of 4th Century BC The growing impact of textuality in the classical Greece seems to be generally accepted view. However, the importance of the written text as an autonomous mean of transmission in different spheres of life in Athens in the IV century BC is more complex phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to present a general sketch of this issue with particular emphasis on politics and individuals whose ambition was to have a real impact on the current affairs. In this context the activity of Isocrates and his self-consciousness provides especially interesting material for debate.

Utrum Isocratea de bene conformatio animo disciplina ad alumnorum utilitates solum accomodata sit The purpose of this paper is to present the views of Isocrates on human excellence as a result of the educational process. The author examines some passages in Isocrates’ speeches, in which the well formed human virtue seems to be changeable and still dependent on the pupils’ social position. Apart from the fact that this virtue occurs as a faculty of seizing each opportunity to speak in a relevant way, it also appears to be once a kind of patience in bearing any success as well as any misfortune in the same manner, and, at other times, it presents itself as a type of activity of the mind, which seeks the best solutions to different problems of the State. It is argued that in the view of Isocrates, despite some relevancy in his model of human excellence, which must be adapted to the future social tasks of each of his pupils, human perfection always entails three most important values. Apart from speaking well at the right time and living agreeably with other people, this perfection is based, to a large extent, on some form of seriousness and a gravity of the mind, which remains totally independent of any opportunities of time.

Senecio and Larensis the Diners. Two Non-Greek Intellectuals at the Heart of the Hellenic Symposion This paper compares accounts of Senecio's actions in Plutarch's Table Talk with the relation of Larensis' comportment in Athenaeus' Deipnosophists. The results of the examination suggest that the extent of self-awareness of both characters is what should be understood as the symbolic accommodation between Greek and Roman in the High Empire times.

Aristophanes, the Acuser of Socrates: Some Sociolinguistics Aspects of Comedy This paper examines the impact of verbal abuse typical of the old Attic comedy on the reputations of real-life citizens of Athens. It can be argued that the way in which comic poets insulted well-known people of their age shared many characteristics with the communicative strategies applied in everyday familiar speech. This may indicate that the only proper reaction to it consisted in accepting the ridicule as if it were not offensive.

Claudianus Mamertus in the eyes of Sidonius Apollinaris The present paper discusses the person and literary achievements of Claudianus Mamertus as seen by his fellow writer and friend, Sidonius Apollinaris. In his extant writings, Sidonius presents a sympathetic and, indeed, impressive image of his friend as both a devout member of the Christian community and an outstanding intellectual. Both the letters to Mamertus and the eulogy written after his death testify to the friendship between the two writers, and the intellectual, spiritual, and personal qualities of Claudianus Mamertus. Sidonius’ works concerning Mamertus are often analysed to underscore the philosophical and theological character of Mamertus’ work; yet their elegant form and their deep connection to cultural tradition deserves also an analysis from a more aesthetic, literary point of view.

Artificum scaenicorum studium amoremque inhonestum probrosumque esse. The Actor and their Audience in the Roman Theatre The paper analyses the role and position of actors in ancient Rome, from the times of the Republic to the principate. Main emphasis is put on the legal understanding of problems such as the special order of seating in Roman theatres and the privileges of senators and ordo equester, social position of actors and the question of the citizens’ participation (willing or not) in the performances.

Plutarch's Alexander the Great as Focus for Greek Identity. The Case of Alexander's Childhood and Youth in Vira Alexandri The present paper concentrates on the character of Plutarch’s Alexander and his idealized Greek traits as visible in one particular set of Plutarch’s stories: the narratives on the childhood and youth of Alexander, presented in Vita Alexandri. By presenting him as a Greek hero, with a number of typically heroic and typically Hellenic features, Plutarch transforms the image of the Macedonian king, creating a model for his audience to identify as an embodiment of Greek greatness. While the portrait of Alexander in Plutarch’s Life of Alexander is rather nuanced and not entirely positive (see, for example, his behaviour in the East), Plutarch seems, in the stories of Alexander’s childhood, to be carefully presenting him as a perfect Greek model of a hero and a future leader.