Philochoros and the tradition of local historical writing at Athens : genre, ideology and methodology in the reconstruction and literary presentation of Attic history
The purpose of this thesis is to re-evaluate with special reference to the Attic History of the third-century historian Philochoros the nature of local historical writing at Athens, its sources,m ethodologya nd defining features. Attic historiography( or ~Atthidography~ as it is more commonly known) began in the late fifth century B. C. with a non-Athenian called Hellanikos and cuhninatedw ith Philochoros in the third. Current consensush olds that these writers worked within a rigidly defined genre whose most salient hallmark was the schernatisationo f Athenian history around a list of annuala rchonsa nd that the aim of each successive writer was to present history with a unique political slant. This thesis challenges conventional wisdom on three scores. First, it argues that, while there can be little doubt that Philochoros organised his Attic History in the shape of a chronicle, the historical treatiseso f his literary predecessorsa doptedd ifferent traits and in few instances exhibit an annalistic structure; this observation discourages the notion that Philochoros modelled his own treatise on earlier works of the same title or drew his historical material from those works. Second, it contests the idea that
Joyce, Christopher J.
Atthidography
Philochoros and the tradition of local historical writing at Athens : genre, ideology and methodology in the reconstruction and literary presentation of Attic history. The purpose of this thesis is to re-evaluate with special reference to the Attic History of the third-century historian Philochoros the nature of local historical writing at Athens, its sources,m ethodologya nd defining features. Attic historiography( or ~Atthidography~ as it is more commonly known) began in the late fifth century B. C. with a non-Athenian called Hellanikos and cuhninatedw ith Philochoros in the third. Current consensush olds that these writers worked within a rigidly defined genre whose most salient hallmark was the schernatisationo f Athenian history around a list of annuala rchonsa nd that the aim of each successive writer was to present history with a unique political slant. This thesis challenges conventional wisdom on three scores. First, it argues that, while there can be little doubt that Philochoros organised his Attic History in the shape of a chronicle, the historical treatiseso f his literary predecessorsa doptedd ifferent traits and in few instances exhibit an annalistic structure; this observation discourages the notion that Philochoros modelled his own treatise on earlier works of the same title or drew his historical material from those works. Second, it contests the idea that
tradition local historical_writing athens genre ideology reconstruction literary presentation attic history purpose re_evaluate special_reference attic history third_century historian nature local historical_writing athens source defining feature attic historiography commonly_know begin non athenian call third current old writer work within rigidly define genre whose salient hallmark athenian_history around list aim successive writer present history unique political challenge_conventional wisdom score first argues little doubt organise attic history shape chronicle historical literary trait instance exhibit annalistic structure observation discourage notion model treatise earlier_work title drew historical_material work second contest idea