The Second Sophistic: Cultural Phenomenon in the Roman Empire

Synopsis

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. This book provides a broad view of the cultural outlook of the Second Sophistic. Graham Anderson suggests the cultural aspirations which Greek sophists in the Roman Empire were able to cherish; and shows how their skills in public speaking could enable them to adjust their horizons to the variety of activities in which they could engage. He presents the sophists' roles as civic celebrities side by side with their roles as transmitters of Hellenic culture and literary artists. While studies of early Imperial culture and society have proliferated, many simply touch on the Second Sophistic or concentrate on only single aspects of a complex phenomenon. This work presents a series of overlapping perspectives and illustrations to enable the reader to form a more coordinated view. Original and comprehensive, this book will be of great interest to those concerned with the history or literature of the Roman Empire.