Editorial for Rosetta issue 24.
Articles
This article discusses the problem of the authorship of Against Aristogeiton I of the Demosthenic corpus (or. 25). Its authenticity has been questioned since antiquity, and thus a list is provided here of all the ancient sources in which this oration is cited, with an analysis of the reasons that have led several scholars to consider it a forgery. However, it is noted that there is no compelling evidence proving either that the speech was not written by Demosthenes or that it was not delivered in court. Therefore, it is assumed that this is a genuine speech by the orator, written for delivery under actual court circumstances. This is also deduced from the analysis of its style, which is compatible with that of other speeches of Demosthenes which are definitely considered genuine.
This paper considers the nature of Polybian siege descriptions. Polybius’s approach was defined by diverse factors, including his personal experience and the influence of literary canons. Traditional literary clichés were used by the historian in passages where he provides instructions on how to capture cities. Advice is provided on the capturing of cities by military tricks, treachery and siege techniques. Capturing cities was important due to the difficulty of a long siege and problems with supply. However, internal conflicts and the lack of resources often experienced by cities under siege provided an opportunity to exploit these weaknesses with a sudden attack.
The following article reviews the conversion of space, that is the appearance of Christian holy sites, in fourth century Palestine. Later, it explores the conversion of the population of Palestine by examining the writings of different Christian authors. Juxtaposition of the archaeological and literary evidence alludes to a historical discrepancy, one which can be resolved by considering the political and religious aspirations of key figures, such as: emperors, bishops and monks.
Book Reviews
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