Books by Frances Pownall
The Courts of Philip II and Alexander the Great: Monarchy and Power in Ancient Macedonia
This is the first lexicon focusing exclusively on Argead Makedonia. Spanning from the mythical fo... more This is the first lexicon focusing exclusively on Argead Makedonia. Spanning from the mythical foundation of the realm to the death of the last Argead ruler, Alexander IV, 247 entries written by 44 international scholars provide information on central aspects of the politics, culture, society, and economy of Argead Makedonia, on the ancient evidence, and on scholarly issues.
Argead Makedonia emerged in the 7th century BC. From the late 6th century to its rise to hegemony under Philip II in the 4th century BC, it formed part of Mediterranean history and crossed the paths of the Greek poleis, the Persian Empire, and neighbouring regions such as Thessaly, Illyria, and Thrace.
Waldemar Heckel/Johannes Heinrichs/Sabine Müller/Frances Pownall (eds.): Lexicon of Argead Makedonia
540 pages, hardcover
Book: ISBN 978-3-7329-0405-1, EUR 128.00
E-Book: 978-3-7329-9601-8, EUR 140.00
https://www.frank-timme.de/verlag/verlagsprogramm/buch/verlagsprogramm/waldemar-heckeljohannes-heinrichssabine-muellerfrances-pownall-eds-lexicon-of-argead-makedoni/backPID/separate-titel-3.html
This is the first lexicon focusing exclusively on Argead Makedonia. Spanning from the mythical fo... more This is the first lexicon focusing exclusively on Argead Makedonia. Spanning from the mythical foundation of the realm to the death of the last Argead ruler, Alexander IV, 247 entries written by 44 international scholars provide information on central aspects of the politics, culture, society, and economy of Argead Makedonia, on the ancient evidence, and on scholarly issues. Argead Makedonia emerged in the 7th century BC. From the late 6th century to its rise to hegemony under Philip II in the 4th century BC, it formed part of Mediterranean history and crossed the paths of the Greek poleis, the Persian Empire, and neighbouring regions such as Thessaly, Illyria, and Thrace.
Recent scholars have analysed ways in which authors of the Roman era appropriated the figure of ... more Recent scholars have analysed ways in which authors of the Roman era appropriated the figure of Alexander the Great. The essays in this collection, by an international team of scholars, cast a wider net. They show how classical Greek, hellenistic and Roman authors reinterpreted, sometimes misinterpreted, information on ancient Macedonians to serve their own literary and political aims. Although Roman ideas pervade the historiographical tradition, this volume shows that the manipulation of ancient Macedonian history largely occurred much earlier. It reflected the complicated dynastic politics of the Argead royal house, the efforts of Alexander himself to redefine Macedonian kingship, and the competing strategies of the Successors to claim his legacy. Facing the complexity of the source tradition about the ancient Macedonians yields a richer and more balanced reflection of both the history and the historiography of this important and controversial people.
Description
Lessons from the Past contributes in a new way to current discussions of the connect... more Description
Lessons from the Past contributes in a new way to current discussions of the connections between the genres of rhetoric and history in Greek literature, and deepens our understanding of the Greek tendency to look to the past as a source for moral edification of contemporary audiences. This agenda is even apparent, to some extent, in the writings of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars---ancient and modern---have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors---Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers.
Frances Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By concentrating on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians---Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), the author examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition.
Lessons From the Past is not only a systematic examination of Greek historiography of the fourth century prior to the Alexander historians, but also has a contribution to make to current debates on literacy, orality, and the education of the elite in Athens. It should be of interest not only to students and scholars of Greek history and historiography, but also ancient philosophy and political thought.
Frances Pownall is Professor of History and Classics at the University of Alberta.
Praise / Awards
"Frances Pownall's book opens a valuable new window on the ancient Greek historians. Moving away from the limits of 'factual' or 'scientific' criticism, she undertakes to understand and appreciate the main historians of the Classical Period in terms of the objectives they set for themselves, rather than the values of an alien age."
---Gordon Shrimpton, University of Victoria
"Lessons from the Past depicts the effort of a ripe culture---classical Greece---to educate itself by reflecting upon its own history. Frances Pownall makes a long-needed contribution to the field with her author-by-author, text-by-text examination of the intimate symbiosis between the historians and the philosopher-orators of the fourth century. Her careful analysis of primary texts continuously yields shrewd insights into the rich connections among these documents of intellectual history."
---John Wickersham, Ursinus College
Articles by Frances Pownall
Polemos and his Children: War, its Repercussions, and Narrative in Ancient Greek Literature, ed. R. Bruzzone, Histos Supplement 12 (2021) 119–37
Mouseion, 2020
There has been much debate on the nature and Tendenz (if any) of the mysterious pamphlet of Stesi... more There has been much debate on the nature and Tendenz (if any) of the mysterious pamphlet of Stesimbrotus of Thasos, which circulated in antiquity under the title On Themistocles, Thucydides, and Pericles, although consensus has so far remained elusive. A re-examination of the 11 extant fragments as an integrated whole reveals that the work was a serious political invective, reflecting the views of the intellectual dissidents opposed to the radical democracy in Athens. Furthermore, Stesimbrotus is likely to have been the unknown authority whose hostility toward Themistocles and Pericles occasioned Thucydides’ lengthy and uncharacteristic defences of both men.
Mouseion, 2018
Xenophon provides the historical background to Socrates' trial and execution in the Hellenica, bu... more Xenophon provides the historical background to Socrates' trial and execution in the Hellenica, but notoriously does not mention these events anywhere in it. Nevertheless, a re-examination of specific episodes from the early part of the Hellenica reveals that he does offer very pointed political commentary on the trial and execution of Socrates, even without mentioning them explicitly. In addition, deliberate parallels with and verbal echoes of Xenophon's apologetic Socratic works suggest that the Hellenica is intended to be read as a defence of Socrates and a condemnation of the Athenian democracy.
The influence of the royal ideology of the Achaemenid Persians on Philip and (especially) Alexand... more The influence of the royal ideology of the Achaemenid Persians on Philip and (especially) Alexander of Macedon has increasingly been recognized, but the role of Dionysius I of Syracuse in their creation of a new-style Macedonian monarchy has received less attention. I examine some aspects of the royal ideology of both Philip and Alexander that appear to be modelled upon precedents inaugurated by Dionysius: self-fashioning as the god Dionysus, the wearing of purple (which conveyed both elite status and magnificent display), the adoption of the diadem, the donning of ornate festal clothing previously reserved for athletic victors and performers on the stage, and the desire to engage in theatrical performances themselves. The biased portrayal of the Macedonian court by the Greek sources and the apologetic tradition on Alexander have given rise to the popular misconception that he gave little thought to his ruling ideology until his ‘orientalism’ following his conquest of Persia, denying any influence in its development either to Philip or to Dionysius, who as the ruler of a large multi-ethnic empire was his only real predecessor in the Greek world.
Xenophon and Isocrates. Political Affinities and Literary Interactions, Trends in Classics, special issue
All information regarding notes for contributors, subscriptions, Open access, back volumes and or... more All information regarding notes for contributors, subscriptions, Open access, back volumes and orders is available online at www.degruyter.com/tic Trends in Classics, a new journal and its accompanying series of Supplementary Volumes, will publish innovative, interdisciplinary work which brings to the study of Greek and Latin texts the insights and methods of related disciplines such as narratology, intertextuality, reader-response criticism, and oral poetics. Trends in Classics will seek to publish research across the full range of classical antiquity. Submissions of manuscripts for the series and the journal are welcome to be sent directly to the editors:
Review Discussion of V. Naas and M. Simon (eds.), De Samos à Rome: personnalité et influence de D... more Review Discussion of V. Naas and M. Simon (eds.), De Samos à Rome: personnalité et influence de Douris (Paris 2015) in Histos 12 (2016) 155-162.
Recent scholarship has drawn attention to the consistent focus throughout Xenophon's large and di... more Recent scholarship has drawn attention to the consistent focus throughout Xenophon's large and disparate body of work upon articulating a very specific set of virtues that define a good leader. I examine the reverse side of this trend in scholarship by identifying the characteristics that Xenophon employs to define bad leaders. I argue that Xenophon deliberately shaped his narrative in the Hellenica to portray egregiously bad leaders as tyrants, focusing in particular upon their impiety, which he presents as the crucial explanatory factor in their downfalls. Appropriating the figure of the evil tyrant from Athenian democratic ideology, he bequeaths to the later Greek historiographical tradition the topos of the impious tyrant.
Cahiers des Etudes Anciennes 42 (2005) 255-278.
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Books by Frances Pownall
Argead Makedonia emerged in the 7th century BC. From the late 6th century to its rise to hegemony under Philip II in the 4th century BC, it formed part of Mediterranean history and crossed the paths of the Greek poleis, the Persian Empire, and neighbouring regions such as Thessaly, Illyria, and Thrace.
Waldemar Heckel/Johannes Heinrichs/Sabine Müller/Frances Pownall (eds.): Lexicon of Argead Makedonia
540 pages, hardcover
Book: ISBN 978-3-7329-0405-1, EUR 128.00
E-Book: 978-3-7329-9601-8, EUR 140.00
https://www.frank-timme.de/verlag/verlagsprogramm/buch/verlagsprogramm/waldemar-heckeljohannes-heinrichssabine-muellerfrances-pownall-eds-lexicon-of-argead-makedoni/backPID/separate-titel-3.html
Lessons from the Past contributes in a new way to current discussions of the connections between the genres of rhetoric and history in Greek literature, and deepens our understanding of the Greek tendency to look to the past as a source for moral edification of contemporary audiences. This agenda is even apparent, to some extent, in the writings of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars---ancient and modern---have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors---Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers.
Frances Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By concentrating on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians---Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), the author examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition.
Lessons From the Past is not only a systematic examination of Greek historiography of the fourth century prior to the Alexander historians, but also has a contribution to make to current debates on literacy, orality, and the education of the elite in Athens. It should be of interest not only to students and scholars of Greek history and historiography, but also ancient philosophy and political thought.
Frances Pownall is Professor of History and Classics at the University of Alberta.
Praise / Awards
"Frances Pownall's book opens a valuable new window on the ancient Greek historians. Moving away from the limits of 'factual' or 'scientific' criticism, she undertakes to understand and appreciate the main historians of the Classical Period in terms of the objectives they set for themselves, rather than the values of an alien age."
---Gordon Shrimpton, University of Victoria
"Lessons from the Past depicts the effort of a ripe culture---classical Greece---to educate itself by reflecting upon its own history. Frances Pownall makes a long-needed contribution to the field with her author-by-author, text-by-text examination of the intimate symbiosis between the historians and the philosopher-orators of the fourth century. Her careful analysis of primary texts continuously yields shrewd insights into the rich connections among these documents of intellectual history."
---John Wickersham, Ursinus College
Articles by Frances Pownall
Argead Makedonia emerged in the 7th century BC. From the late 6th century to its rise to hegemony under Philip II in the 4th century BC, it formed part of Mediterranean history and crossed the paths of the Greek poleis, the Persian Empire, and neighbouring regions such as Thessaly, Illyria, and Thrace.
Waldemar Heckel/Johannes Heinrichs/Sabine Müller/Frances Pownall (eds.): Lexicon of Argead Makedonia
540 pages, hardcover
Book: ISBN 978-3-7329-0405-1, EUR 128.00
E-Book: 978-3-7329-9601-8, EUR 140.00
https://www.frank-timme.de/verlag/verlagsprogramm/buch/verlagsprogramm/waldemar-heckeljohannes-heinrichssabine-muellerfrances-pownall-eds-lexicon-of-argead-makedoni/backPID/separate-titel-3.html
Lessons from the Past contributes in a new way to current discussions of the connections between the genres of rhetoric and history in Greek literature, and deepens our understanding of the Greek tendency to look to the past as a source for moral edification of contemporary audiences. This agenda is even apparent, to some extent, in the writings of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Because of the didactic nature of the historical genre, many scholars---ancient and modern---have seen connections between history and rhetoric. So far, discussion has centered on fifth-century authors---Herodotus and Thucydides, along with the sophists and early philosophers.
Frances Pownall extends the focus of this discussion into an important period. By concentrating on key intellectuals and historians of the fourth century (Plato and the major historians---Xenophon, Ephorus, and Theopompus), the author examines how these prose writers created an aristocratic version of the past as an alternative to the democratic version of the oratorical tradition.
Lessons From the Past is not only a systematic examination of Greek historiography of the fourth century prior to the Alexander historians, but also has a contribution to make to current debates on literacy, orality, and the education of the elite in Athens. It should be of interest not only to students and scholars of Greek history and historiography, but also ancient philosophy and political thought.
Frances Pownall is Professor of History and Classics at the University of Alberta.
Praise / Awards
"Frances Pownall's book opens a valuable new window on the ancient Greek historians. Moving away from the limits of 'factual' or 'scientific' criticism, she undertakes to understand and appreciate the main historians of the Classical Period in terms of the objectives they set for themselves, rather than the values of an alien age."
---Gordon Shrimpton, University of Victoria
"Lessons from the Past depicts the effort of a ripe culture---classical Greece---to educate itself by reflecting upon its own history. Frances Pownall makes a long-needed contribution to the field with her author-by-author, text-by-text examination of the intimate symbiosis between the historians and the philosopher-orators of the fourth century. Her careful analysis of primary texts continuously yields shrewd insights into the rich connections among these documents of intellectual history."
---John Wickersham, Ursinus College
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119438847
Recently, the history of Alexander and his Successors has attracted growing attention of modern academia. The Hellenistic world is not viewed anymore as a moment of decadence after the splendour of the Greek Classical age, enlightened by Athens' bright star, but as an engaging example of ante litteram globalization, the essential premise to the development of the Roman Empire. We have consequently considered opportune and significant to organise a conference meeting devoted to Alexander' s Legacy.
We would like to thank all of the Italian and foreign Colleagues who have so valuably contributed to the success of our project. We would also like to thank the young scholars who have promptly examined through their posters some specific matters. A heartfelt thanks to the Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia e Storia dell' Arte of our University, as well as to the Department Chair, Professor Giuseppe Zecchini. Without the support of the Department, nothing would have been possible.
Finally, we are grateful to our Colleague Alberto Barzano and to Dr. Monica D' Agostini, who have effectively helped us to overcome the unavoidable linguistic difficulties.
Atti del Convegno, Milano-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, settembre 2015.
CINZIA BEARZOT
FRANCA LANDUCCI
University of St Andrews, 11-14th July 2018.
Organized by Eran Almagor, Timothy Howe & B. Antela-Bernárdez