PALESTINIAN INTELLECTUALS - J. Geiger Hellenism in the East. Studies on Greek Intellectuals in Palestine. (Historia Einzelschriften 229.) Pp. 177. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 2014. Cased, €49. ISBN: 978-3-515-10617-7 (original) (raw)

Classical Review, 2015

Abstract

well as style and occasions for letter writing, and shows how Libanius through his letters ‘weaves a web of relations but also of moral and social pressures’ (p. 159). In Chapter 8, ‘The Reception of Libanius: from Pagan Friend of Julian to (almost) Christian Saint and Back’, H.-G. Nesselrath and V.H. examine the colourful reception of Libanius from his own time, through Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and all the way to the present. The main conclusion from Part 2 emerges quite clearly throughChapter 8: Libanius, across genre, wrotewith posterity in mind, and his rhetorical skills and cultural awareness merit a modern day rediscovery of Libanius. Part 3, ‘Contexts: Identity, Society, Tradition’, contains five chapters that investigate some of the key themes in Libanius’ works. In Chapter 9, ‘Emperors and Empire in Libanius’, H.-U. Wiemer draws a picture of Libanius’ interactions with and presentations of the Emperors and the Roman Empire. In Chapter 10, ‘Libanius’ Networks’, S. Bradbury shows how Libanius interacted through a ‘series of inter-connected, inter-marrying prominent families’ (p. 239) and illuminates both the reach and the limits of Libanius’ political and social influences. As Nesselrath observes, Chapter 10, ‘Libanius and the Literary Tradition’, is an exercise in Quellenforschung and intertextuality. The chapter builds on the works of Foerster (1877-), Norman (1964) and Schouler (1984) in a thorough discussion of what Greek authors Libanius knew and utilised in his own work. The literary tradition was an integral part of Libanius’ promotion of his educational level and his Greek heritage. J.R. Stenger covers the concept of Greek identity in Libanius in Chapter 12, ‘Libanius and the “Game” of Hellenism’. Stenger explores various outlets for Hellenism and concludes that ‘Libanius’ Hellenism emerges as a flexible rhetorical device, deployed for and in social relations in a strategic, creative and at times playful manner’ (p. 292). A similar conclusion appears in the last chapter, ‘Not the Last Pagan: Libanius between Elite Rhetoric and Religion’, as P. Van Nuffelen argues that each text which treats matters of religion must be read carefully within its context. This conclusion is perhaps true of any matter treated by Libanius. The book stands as a successful endeavour. Each chapter and section contributes to a very useful and thorough critical introduction to Libanius and his works. It shows how Libanius deserves a nuanced approach, which takes both text and context into account, and it invites its readers to bring this late-antique author back into classical research.

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