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The birth of ancient political pamphlet. Stesimbrotus of Thasos
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2023-2-70-87
Abstract
The genre of political pamphlet, which reached a high flourishing in Greece in the 4th century B.C. (Isocrates and others), appeared in the previous century. Usually scholars begin its history from the “Athenian Constitution” of Pseudo-Xenophon (420s B.C.). However, the article deals with an earlier (evidently, simply the earliest) pamphleteer, Stesimbrotus of Thasos, who wrote in the time of Pericles. His fragmentarily preserved treatise “On Themistocles, Thucydides and Pericles” represented a very lively written tendentious pamphlet (of mainly invective a tone) with some features of memoirs. The article analyzes biographical testimonies on Stesimbrotus and extant fragments of his principal work. As it represents leaders of radical democracy, Themistocles and Pericles, in negative light, but Cimon, a statesman from the opposite camp, is represented in it more positively, the author makes a conclusion on generally antidemocratic political orientation of the pamphlet, and that corresponds with the prevalent position of Greek intellectuals if the period in question.
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About the Author
I. E. SurikovRussian Federation
Igor E. Surikov - Dr. in Sci. (History), professor, Institute of World History.
Bld. 32a, Leninsky Av., Moscow, 119334; bld. 6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047References
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Supplementary files
For citation: Surikov I.E. The birth of ancient political pamphlet. Stesimbrotus of Thasos. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2023;(2):70-87. https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2023-2-70-87
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