Experience and Teleology in Ancient Historiography: Futures Past from Herodotus to Augustine

Description

The past is narrated in retrospect. Historians can either capitalize on the benefit of hindsight and give their narratives a strongly teleological design or they may try to render the past as it was experienced by historical agents and contemporaries. This book explores the fundamental tension between experience and teleology in major works of Greek and Roman historiography, biography and autobiography. The combination of theoretical reflections with close readings yields a new, often surprising assessment of the history of ancient historiography as well as a deeper understanding of such authors as Thucydides, Tacitus and Augustine. While much recent work has focused on how ancient historians use emplotment to generate historical meaning, Experience and Teleology in Ancient Historiography offers a new approach to narrative form as a mode of coming to grips with time.

Jonas Grethlein holds the Chair in Greek Literature at Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg. His recent publications include The Greeks and their Past: Poetry, Oratory and History in the Fifth Century BCE (2010) and, co-edited with Christopher B. Krebs, Time and Narrative in Ancient Historiography: The 'Plupast' from Herodotus to Appian (2012).

'Professional classicists and dissertation topic-hunting graduate students who are looking to take the study of historiography and ancient historical narrative in a new direction will find much useful material in this book ... [It] reflects the energy, knowledge, and insight of it author. It is clearly written and beautifully structured. Grethlein provides sections within each chapter, and then sub-sections within the sections.' Jonathan Master, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 'Grethlein's book is a powerful study; it is brilliantly written with impressive results. It draws our attention to a fascinating narrative bipolarity within the texts of the ancient historians. Grethlein's study and conclusions will definitely strengthen its readers' understanding of their texts.' Felix K. Maier, Journal of Hellenic Studies '... this new book by Grethlein is an investigation into literary memory in Antiquity ... Its strength lies in Grethlein's ability to combine theoretical reflections with close readings and to see the complex intertwining of narrative form, purpose and historical circumstance.' Maria Osmers, The Classical Review