Development of the Idea of History in AntiquityAn extensive scholarly literature, written in the past century holds that in ancient Greek and Roman thought history is understood as circular and repetitive - a consequence of their anti-temporal metaphysics - in contrast with Judaeo-Christian thought, which sees history as linear and unique - a consequence of their messianic and hence radically temporal theology. Gerald Press presents a more general view - that the Graeco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian cultures were fundamentally alien and opposed cultural forces and that, therefore, Christianity's victory over paganism included the replacement or supersession of one intellectual world by another - and then shows that, contrary to this view, there was substantial continuity between "pagan" and Christian ideas of history in antiquity, rather than a striking opposition between cyclic and linear patterns. He finds that the foundation of the Christian view of history as goal-directed lies in the rhetorical rather than the theological motives of early Christian writers. An extensive scholarly literature, written in the past century holds that in ancient Greek and Roman thought history is understood as circular and repetitive - a consequence of their anti-temporal metaphysics - in contrast with Judaeo-Christian thought, which sees history as linear and unique - a consequence of their messianic and hence radically temporal theology. Gerald Press presents a more general view - that the Graeco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian cultures were fundamentally alien and opposed cultural forces and that, therefore, Christianity's victory over paganism included the replacement or supersession of one intellectual world by another - and then shows that, contrary to this view, there was substantial continuity between "pagan" and Christian ideas of history in antiquity, rather than a striking opposition between cyclic and linear patterns. He finds that the foundation of the Christian view of history as goal-directed lies in the rhetorical rather than the theological motives of early Christian writers. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
History as Inquiry in the Hellenic Age | 23 |
History as a Literary Genre The Hellenistic Age | 35 |
The Early Roman Empire History as Story and the Rhetorical Use of History by the Early Christians | 61 |
The Distinction between Sacred and Profane History in Late Antiquity | 89 |
Conclusion The Development of the Idea of History and the Cultural Ferment of Late Antiquity | 121 |
Bibliography of Works on the Accepted View of the Idea of History in Antiquity | 147 |
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Common terms and phrases
according Antike apologetical argues Aristotle Aristotle's Arnobius Augustine Augustine's century Christian writers Cicero cities City of God Classical culture Dionysius Dionysius Thrax discussion distinction divine early Christian empire exegesis facts or information factual account gods Graeco-Roman Graeco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian Greek and Roman Hellenic Hellenistic Age Herodotus Hieron historicus historiography history in antiquity History of Ideas history writing Ibid idea of history indicate informational account inquiring intellectual iotopía Jewish Jews Judaeo-Christian kind knowledge Lactantius late antiquity Latin literary genre literature lotwo meaning Moses natural things origin pagan paideia passage past Patrology Philo philosophy of history Plato Polybius pre-Socratic problem refers religion religious rhetorical Rome sacred says Scriptures seems sense Similarly social Sozomen story Tatian Tertullian Theodoretus theology thought Thucydides tion tory tradition trans understanding understood University Press usage verb whole temporal process words written ἱστορεῖν ἱστορία τῶν