Le Guen Brigitte | Universite Paris-8, France (original) (raw)
Papers by Le Guen Brigitte
In the recent years, attention paid to the spread of Athenian drama outside Attica led some schol... more In the recent years, attention paid to the spread of Athenian drama outside Attica led some scholars to examine the case of the Macedonian kingdom. In attempting to judge the validity of their conclusions – Philip II and Alexander the Great profoundly transformed theatrical activity by detaching it from its religious roots for the first time - I decided to focus on Alexander’s use of drama during his oriental expedition (334-323). First, I tried to determine, as precisely as possible, the number of dramatic contests or performances he initiated, in order to describe the context of each of them, and study their own organization. As we know nothing of the plays produced along Alexander’s conquests, neither their names, with one exception: a “small” satyr drama (dramation) entitled Agen, which survived in a few verses, I made use of this source as a basis for considering the nature of the plays that could have been set up at the travelling royal court. Relying on the collected data, the conclusions, and the hypotheses supported by such information, I tried then to explain the monarch’s deep interest in drama, but also its increase and transformation as his kingdom expanded. Two different periods, at the beginning and at the end of his conquests, are to be distinguished in Alexander’s utilization of theatre. From 333 to March/April 331, the king set up dramatic contests in order to compete with Athens and to be viewed as the new champion of Greek theatrical activity and culture. In the second time period, which coincides with the conqueror’s return from India, theatre becomes a vehicle for highlighting the image of the sovereign as a New Dionysus, endowed with all the qualities attributed to the god. The staging of the satyr play Agen in such a context is particularly telling, this dramatic genre being the most intimately linked with Dionysus. Consequently, if there were innovations in the theatrical practice during Alexander’s lifetime, they were certainly not based on the disappearance of the pre-existing connections of scenic contests with the cult of divinities or heroes. All of those we know to have been decreed by Alexander were indeed held after victory and preceded by sacrifice(s). At the itinerant court of the Macedonian king, dramatic competitions more than ever played a role that was every bit as political as it was cultural and religious. The true innovations actually were, on the one hand, the birth of the royal Dionysism which created the ideological link between victory, theatre, and monarchic power; and on the other hand, the introduction of actor’s performances in festive contexts, like banquets - that previously enjoyed the sole participation of musicians, jugglers, and such entertainers.
{lniaersité de furis VIll J'ai choisi, pour cette journée, de parler des auteurs clramariques de ... more {lniaersité de furis VIll J'ai choisi, pour cette journée, de parler des auteurs clramariques de la période hellénistiquel et de le.rs tragédies quaiifiées parfois de u nouvelles , (hainai) daos nos sources2, pour les c{ifférencier cles u anciennes », l.r. de celles qui étaient rejorrées J, après avoir cléjà été prod,ites en concours, selon une innovarion apPârue à Athènes en 386 av. J.-C" a. II m'a sernblé en efi[et l. J'entend.s par là. de nranière rout à Êtir conventionnelle, l'époque comprise entre la mort dAlexandre le (lrand (123 ar. J.-C.) ct k hataille d'Actium (31 nr l.-C.)" Pour une discussion (à nuancer) sur le pas.age de la tr.reérlic du I\ r r. (112q{.
This article is a commentary (accompanying the first accessible French translation since several ... more This article is a commentary (accompanying the first accessible French translation since several centuries) of a fragment of Poseidonius of Apamea, transmitted by Athenaeus of Naucratis (Deipnosophists V, 211d-212f). It is a literary text, unusual in that it refers specifically to an association of Dionysiac Artists. It recounts how in the spring of 88 BC the Technitai of the Athenian association received the peripatetic philosopher Athenion in the city on his return from an embassy, of which he had been officially in charge at the beginning of that year, to Mithridates VI Eupator Dionysus, king of Pontus. The passage, like its context (211d-215d), has often been cited, but commentators, both philologists and historians, have been divided in their opinions: some have seen it as pure rhetorical fiction, others have thought they could detect a historically true substratum, but have differed on what it contained and how best to interpret it. Following the presentation of the text, context, and its main stylistic characteristics, I outlined, building on several recently published works (particularly two editions of Poseidonius’ works translated and commented in German and English), that behind this rather clever literary exercise and caustic image – spelling out a sense of biting irony – there were, nevertheless, glimmers of facts whose historicity is beyond doubt. Relying on diverse parallel sources (literary, epigraphic, papyrological), I emphasised that Athenion’s arrival – far from corresponding to the hysterical reception mounted by a disorganised crowd prey to extreme emotions – in fact, mirrored one of the carefully organized (and much praised in the Hellenistic period) rituals of d’apantesis/hypantesis/hypapantesis, which accompanied the entry into a city by a king or his representative. The material thus adds significantly to our understanding of the ceremonial “royal entries”. Further, it provides underlying yet precious information on the situation of Athens in 88 BC and the political role of the Athenian Technitai at the time. Their close ties to Dionysus and their position as Athenian citizens, for most of them, best placed the artists of the Athenian guild to express symbolically the new position of the polis against the Roman power and in favour of the “New Dionysus”, Mithridates. Moreover, they were the best at displaying Hellenistic royal ideology, more precisely, the Dionysiac nature of Mithridates’ power: a wealthy sovereign, a saviour, and a victor.
Dieser Band wurde im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Forschungsförderung von Bund und Ländern mit Mitteln ... more Dieser Band wurde im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Forschungsförderung von Bund und Ländern mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung und der Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Technologie und Forschung des Landes Berlin erarbeitet. Gedruckt auf säurefreiem Papier, das die US-ANSI-Norm über Haltbarkeit erfüllt. ISBN 978-3-11-037496-4 Bibliographische Information Der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb.de abrufbar. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress Vorwort Ein Kongress ist ein wissenschaftliches und ein soziales Ereignis. Während das Letztere wichtig ist für das innere Leben einer Disziplin, aber mit dem Abschlusstag des Kongresses auch bereits wieder sein Ende findet, sollte das wissenschaftliche Ereignis fortleben. Die hier vorgelegten Akten sollen dies leisten. Die Herausgeber dieses Bandes mussten entscheiden, ob alle Vorträge, die in Berlin vorgetragen wurden, veröffentlicht werden sollten. Wir haben uns dazu entschlossen, dies zu tun, freilich in unterschiedlicher Form. Die längeren Abhandlungen der Plenarsitzungen werden hier vollständig vorgelegt, die Beiträge der Nachmittagssektionen dagegen nur als Kurzversionen. Der Verzicht darauf, auch diese Beiträge in voller Länge abzudrucken, erschien uns angemessen, doch sollte zumindest ein Überblick über die Themen und Probleme gegeben werden, die in den Nachmittagssektionen behandelt wurden. Wir danken allen Autoren für die Zusendung ihrer Manuskripte und für die schnelle Korrektur der Druckvorlagen.
The period between the death of Alexander the Great and the end of the Hellenistic times saw the ... more The period between the death of Alexander the Great and the end of the Hellenistic times saw the emergence and development of a new type of association of both a religious and professional nature. This was not limited to Athens, but appeared in many other centres of the Greek world: Peloponnese, Central Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, Cyprus and Magna Graecia. It brought together specialists of the stage who had a particular skill or technè (hence the term Technitai), such as chorus directors, dancers, musicians (instrumentalists and rhapsodists), costume and props designers, composers of eulogies as well as actors and poets of all kinds. As these guilds were formed, they placed themselves under the protection of Dionysus, god of the theatre, and sometimes that of a new associated deity, i.e. a Hellenistic ruler.
Although scholars had vigorously pursued the study of these associations at the end of the 19th century resulting in a number of studies – mainly in Latin and German – they were not the subjects of any later systematic work. My aim was to fill this gap by publishing a study consisting of two interconnected and complementary sections: a corpus (355 p.), bringing together, in addition to the literary evidence, the epigraphic documents which encompass most of the information on the subject and complementing it with text, translation and commentary; a synthesis (224 p.) discussing, in 5 chapters, the various associations of the Technitai in all their aspects.
This work made it possible to demonstrate with clarity by using a new lens on how these corporations – which can be likened to true mini-states – were tied into the economic and financial aspects of the time. Far from being artists pursuing an existence detached from material and financial matters, they were centrally concerned with defending their interests, not only in respect to rival associations, but also vis-à-vis the dominant political regime. That is why, whenever there was a change of government, they pressed to have their privileges renewed, which guaranteed them inviolability and complete security in a world marked by continuous warfare. This allowed them to exercise their profession by finding the means for their subsistence in the celebration of local, regional, and panhellenic festivals. I was also able to demonstrate the way in which the available sources praised the great piety of the Technitai and their unfailing participation in the most distinguished “sacred” competitions of the Greek world. This made it possible to draw a veil over the fact that they performed for payment and cleared them of the suspicion of immorality - the subject of a long-established ideological tradition, much cultivated in the schools of rhetoric. I also reminded readers that, in the last three centuries BC, their art had a strong political aspect, as the Technitai actively participated in the cult of the Hellenistic rulers, or served the ideological ambitions of a city, as in the case of Athens. In doing so, I stressed the fact that the Dionysus whose mysteries are widely attested in the Hellenistic period, and the god of the theatre were not distinct entities. I considered that one of the possible explanations for the extraordinary development of his cult in the entire Greek and Hellenised world, parallel to that in theatrical activity, was related to the fact that several typical features of the god could be combined in the theatre; while he was a god of victory and power, he was also a saviour god, offering possibilities of salvation. Finally, I looked at the central raison d’être of the associations, i.e. the artistic profession. After cataloguing the various specialists constituting the Technitai, which allowed me to bring to the fore the characteristics of contemporary cultural life, I considered the professionalism they demonstrated. Several commanded not just a single artistic speciality, but a second one or at times, several. Some even had several careers and held influential positions within the cities, in which the associations they were members of, had their headquarters. They were thus implicated in all the domains of political, social, economic, religious, and artistic life, meaning that the associations of the Technitai played a key role in the Hellenistic period. Cities, like sovereigns, made use of them, so that they were at the core of all the relations that came into being after Alexander the Great’s death in the new space created by the Macedonian conquest. The interdependence of artists and political power (royal and civic), which can be distinguished in the case of at least three of the guilds we know of (that of Egypt and Cyprus, of Ionia and Hellespont, and of Athens) clearly prefigures the situation of the Technitai, which under the Roman Empire, were grouped into a single corporation covering the inhabited world and placed under imperial patronage. Such an allegiance carried compensations with it; and it gave the artists the financial means to pursue their profession and provided many occasions to do so. As a result they became major transmitters of the Greek culture they preserved and have allowed us to inherit it, however fragmented that legacy may be.
In the recent years, attention paid to the spread of Athenian drama outside Attica led some schol... more In the recent years, attention paid to the spread of Athenian drama outside Attica led some scholars to examine the case of the Macedonian kingdom. In attempting to judge the validity of their conclusions – Philip II and Alexander the Great profoundly transformed theatrical activity by detaching it from its religious roots for the first time - I decided to focus on Alexander’s use of drama during his oriental expedition (334-323). First, I tried to determine, as precisely as possible, the number of dramatic contests or performances he initiated, in order to describe the context of each of them, and study their own organization. As we know nothing of the plays produced along Alexander’s conquests, neither their names, with one exception: a “small” satyr drama (dramation) entitled Agen, which survived in a few verses, I made use of this source as a basis for considering the nature of the plays that could have been set up at the travelling royal court. Relying on the collected data, the conclusions, and the hypotheses supported by such information, I tried then to explain the monarch’s deep interest in drama, but also its increase and transformation as his kingdom expanded. Two different periods, at the beginning and at the end of his conquests, are to be distinguished in Alexander’s utilization of theatre. From 333 to March/April 331, the king set up dramatic contests in order to compete with Athens and to be viewed as the new champion of Greek theatrical activity and culture. In the second time period, which coincides with the conqueror’s return from India, theatre becomes a vehicle for highlighting the image of the sovereign as a New Dionysus, endowed with all the qualities attributed to the god. The staging of the satyr play Agen in such a context is particularly telling, this dramatic genre being the most intimately linked with Dionysus. Consequently, if there were innovations in the theatrical practice during Alexander’s lifetime, they were certainly not based on the disappearance of the pre-existing connections of scenic contests with the cult of divinities or heroes. All of those we know to have been decreed by Alexander were indeed held after victory and preceded by sacrifice(s). At the itinerant court of the Macedonian king, dramatic competitions more than ever played a role that was every bit as political as it was cultural and religious. The true innovations actually were, on the one hand, the birth of the royal Dionysism which created the ideological link between victory, theatre, and monarchic power; and on the other hand, the introduction of actor’s performances in festive contexts, like banquets - that previously enjoyed the sole participation of musicians, jugglers, and such entertainers.
{lniaersité de furis VIll J'ai choisi, pour cette journée, de parler des auteurs clramariques de ... more {lniaersité de furis VIll J'ai choisi, pour cette journée, de parler des auteurs clramariques de la période hellénistiquel et de le.rs tragédies quaiifiées parfois de u nouvelles , (hainai) daos nos sources2, pour les c{ifférencier cles u anciennes », l.r. de celles qui étaient rejorrées J, après avoir cléjà été prod,ites en concours, selon une innovarion apPârue à Athènes en 386 av. J.-C" a. II m'a sernblé en efi[et l. J'entend.s par là. de nranière rout à Êtir conventionnelle, l'époque comprise entre la mort dAlexandre le (lrand (123 ar. J.-C.) ct k hataille d'Actium (31 nr l.-C.)" Pour une discussion (à nuancer) sur le pas.age de la tr.reérlic du I\ r r. (112q{.
This article is a commentary (accompanying the first accessible French translation since several ... more This article is a commentary (accompanying the first accessible French translation since several centuries) of a fragment of Poseidonius of Apamea, transmitted by Athenaeus of Naucratis (Deipnosophists V, 211d-212f). It is a literary text, unusual in that it refers specifically to an association of Dionysiac Artists. It recounts how in the spring of 88 BC the Technitai of the Athenian association received the peripatetic philosopher Athenion in the city on his return from an embassy, of which he had been officially in charge at the beginning of that year, to Mithridates VI Eupator Dionysus, king of Pontus. The passage, like its context (211d-215d), has often been cited, but commentators, both philologists and historians, have been divided in their opinions: some have seen it as pure rhetorical fiction, others have thought they could detect a historically true substratum, but have differed on what it contained and how best to interpret it. Following the presentation of the text, context, and its main stylistic characteristics, I outlined, building on several recently published works (particularly two editions of Poseidonius’ works translated and commented in German and English), that behind this rather clever literary exercise and caustic image – spelling out a sense of biting irony – there were, nevertheless, glimmers of facts whose historicity is beyond doubt. Relying on diverse parallel sources (literary, epigraphic, papyrological), I emphasised that Athenion’s arrival – far from corresponding to the hysterical reception mounted by a disorganised crowd prey to extreme emotions – in fact, mirrored one of the carefully organized (and much praised in the Hellenistic period) rituals of d’apantesis/hypantesis/hypapantesis, which accompanied the entry into a city by a king or his representative. The material thus adds significantly to our understanding of the ceremonial “royal entries”. Further, it provides underlying yet precious information on the situation of Athens in 88 BC and the political role of the Athenian Technitai at the time. Their close ties to Dionysus and their position as Athenian citizens, for most of them, best placed the artists of the Athenian guild to express symbolically the new position of the polis against the Roman power and in favour of the “New Dionysus”, Mithridates. Moreover, they were the best at displaying Hellenistic royal ideology, more precisely, the Dionysiac nature of Mithridates’ power: a wealthy sovereign, a saviour, and a victor.
Dieser Band wurde im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Forschungsförderung von Bund und Ländern mit Mitteln ... more Dieser Band wurde im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Forschungsförderung von Bund und Ländern mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung und der Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Technologie und Forschung des Landes Berlin erarbeitet. Gedruckt auf säurefreiem Papier, das die US-ANSI-Norm über Haltbarkeit erfüllt. ISBN 978-3-11-037496-4 Bibliographische Information Der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb.de abrufbar. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress Vorwort Ein Kongress ist ein wissenschaftliches und ein soziales Ereignis. Während das Letztere wichtig ist für das innere Leben einer Disziplin, aber mit dem Abschlusstag des Kongresses auch bereits wieder sein Ende findet, sollte das wissenschaftliche Ereignis fortleben. Die hier vorgelegten Akten sollen dies leisten. Die Herausgeber dieses Bandes mussten entscheiden, ob alle Vorträge, die in Berlin vorgetragen wurden, veröffentlicht werden sollten. Wir haben uns dazu entschlossen, dies zu tun, freilich in unterschiedlicher Form. Die längeren Abhandlungen der Plenarsitzungen werden hier vollständig vorgelegt, die Beiträge der Nachmittagssektionen dagegen nur als Kurzversionen. Der Verzicht darauf, auch diese Beiträge in voller Länge abzudrucken, erschien uns angemessen, doch sollte zumindest ein Überblick über die Themen und Probleme gegeben werden, die in den Nachmittagssektionen behandelt wurden. Wir danken allen Autoren für die Zusendung ihrer Manuskripte und für die schnelle Korrektur der Druckvorlagen.
The period between the death of Alexander the Great and the end of the Hellenistic times saw the ... more The period between the death of Alexander the Great and the end of the Hellenistic times saw the emergence and development of a new type of association of both a religious and professional nature. This was not limited to Athens, but appeared in many other centres of the Greek world: Peloponnese, Central Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, Cyprus and Magna Graecia. It brought together specialists of the stage who had a particular skill or technè (hence the term Technitai), such as chorus directors, dancers, musicians (instrumentalists and rhapsodists), costume and props designers, composers of eulogies as well as actors and poets of all kinds. As these guilds were formed, they placed themselves under the protection of Dionysus, god of the theatre, and sometimes that of a new associated deity, i.e. a Hellenistic ruler.
Although scholars had vigorously pursued the study of these associations at the end of the 19th century resulting in a number of studies – mainly in Latin and German – they were not the subjects of any later systematic work. My aim was to fill this gap by publishing a study consisting of two interconnected and complementary sections: a corpus (355 p.), bringing together, in addition to the literary evidence, the epigraphic documents which encompass most of the information on the subject and complementing it with text, translation and commentary; a synthesis (224 p.) discussing, in 5 chapters, the various associations of the Technitai in all their aspects.
This work made it possible to demonstrate with clarity by using a new lens on how these corporations – which can be likened to true mini-states – were tied into the economic and financial aspects of the time. Far from being artists pursuing an existence detached from material and financial matters, they were centrally concerned with defending their interests, not only in respect to rival associations, but also vis-à-vis the dominant political regime. That is why, whenever there was a change of government, they pressed to have their privileges renewed, which guaranteed them inviolability and complete security in a world marked by continuous warfare. This allowed them to exercise their profession by finding the means for their subsistence in the celebration of local, regional, and panhellenic festivals. I was also able to demonstrate the way in which the available sources praised the great piety of the Technitai and their unfailing participation in the most distinguished “sacred” competitions of the Greek world. This made it possible to draw a veil over the fact that they performed for payment and cleared them of the suspicion of immorality - the subject of a long-established ideological tradition, much cultivated in the schools of rhetoric. I also reminded readers that, in the last three centuries BC, their art had a strong political aspect, as the Technitai actively participated in the cult of the Hellenistic rulers, or served the ideological ambitions of a city, as in the case of Athens. In doing so, I stressed the fact that the Dionysus whose mysteries are widely attested in the Hellenistic period, and the god of the theatre were not distinct entities. I considered that one of the possible explanations for the extraordinary development of his cult in the entire Greek and Hellenised world, parallel to that in theatrical activity, was related to the fact that several typical features of the god could be combined in the theatre; while he was a god of victory and power, he was also a saviour god, offering possibilities of salvation. Finally, I looked at the central raison d’être of the associations, i.e. the artistic profession. After cataloguing the various specialists constituting the Technitai, which allowed me to bring to the fore the characteristics of contemporary cultural life, I considered the professionalism they demonstrated. Several commanded not just a single artistic speciality, but a second one or at times, several. Some even had several careers and held influential positions within the cities, in which the associations they were members of, had their headquarters. They were thus implicated in all the domains of political, social, economic, religious, and artistic life, meaning that the associations of the Technitai played a key role in the Hellenistic period. Cities, like sovereigns, made use of them, so that they were at the core of all the relations that came into being after Alexander the Great’s death in the new space created by the Macedonian conquest. The interdependence of artists and political power (royal and civic), which can be distinguished in the case of at least three of the guilds we know of (that of Egypt and Cyprus, of Ionia and Hellespont, and of Athens) clearly prefigures the situation of the Technitai, which under the Roman Empire, were grouped into a single corporation covering the inhabited world and placed under imperial patronage. Such an allegiance carried compensations with it; and it gave the artists the financial means to pursue their profession and provided many occasions to do so. As a result they became major transmitters of the Greek culture they preserved and have allowed us to inherit it, however fragmented that legacy may be.