Metaphrasis in Byzantine literature
By: edited by Anne P. Alwis, Martin Hinterberger & Elisabeth Schiffer
Series: Byzantios : studies in Byzantine history and civilization -- volume 17; Byzantios -- 17.
Publisher: Brepols Publishers
Published: 2021
Place of publication: Turnhout, Belgium
Language: eng
Number of pages: 179
ISBN-13: 9782503593449; 9782503593456
Subjects: Byzantine literature; History and criticism
Description: Throughout the centuries Byzantium's ambitious authors were conscious of the significance of literary registers for the reception of their texts. They deliberately made use of stylistic elements or refrained from using certain features in order to reach their target audience. There are certain groups of texts dating from various periods on which these stylistic elements can be tracked precisely by comparison of two or even more versions with their model text. Such examples of rewriting can be found particularly within genres with a broader audience appeal, namely hagiography and historiography. It is in both genres that we encounter metaphrastic processes, in terms of stylistic elaboration and in terms of stylistic simplification. As well as stylistic reshaping, metaphrasis may also encompass the addition or removal of literary and/or thematic aspects. All these processes signify intent as well as authorial interpretation. Frequently, the ideological orientation of a text is refurbished through rewriting. Teasing out these strands for exploration helps to supply a potential wealth of information on the author (if known), cultural (social, religious, historical) context, and creative ability, as well as levels of education and literacy.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Intro; title: Front Matter; title: Anne P. Alwis; title: Martin Hinterberger; title: Elisabeth Schiffer. Introduction; title: Christian Høgel. Rewriting in Byzantium: Standardization and Metaphrasis; title: Daria Resh. The First Metaphrast: John, Bishop of Sardis; title: Laura Franco. Observations on the Methods of Metaphrastic Rewriting: The Case of the Passio of St James (BHG 773); title: Elisabeth Schiffer. Rewriting the Life of St John Chrysostom in Tenth-Century Byzantium; title: Martin Hinterberger. Metaphraseis as a Key for the Understanding of Different Levels in Byzantine Vocabulary; title: Staffan Wahlgren. Byzantine Chronicles and Metaphrasis; title: Corinne Jouanno. The Alexander Romance and Metaphrasis; title: Lev Lukhovitskiy. Emotions, Miracles, and the Mechanics of Psychology in Nikephoros Gregoras' Lives of Empress Theophano and Patriarch Anthony II Kauleas; title: Back Matter