Alciphron

Alciphron was a Greek rhetorician and sophist of the 2nd century AD Like his contemporary Lucian, he was a representative of the so-called Second Sophistic ( " Greek Renaissance "). Probably inspired by the Hetärengespräche Lucian he wrote a collection of fictional letters, of which 124 (118 complete and fragmentary 6 ) have been published. They are written in the purest Attic dialect and are considered as a style role models. The authors are fictitious Attic fishermen, farmers, parasites, and courtesans. The work thus provides an insight into the Greek life at that time, making it a valuable source of knowledge of the Greek private life. Underlying his letters were multiple figures of the comedies of Menander.

Expenditure

• Editio princeps: Aldus Manutius: Collectio epistolarum Graecarum (44 letters ) (Venice 1499 )
• Stephan Bergler (Leipzig 1715 )
• August Meineke (Leipzig 1853)
• Ernst Eduard Seiler ( Leipzig 1853)
• Rudolf Hercher ( Epistolographi Graeci, Paris 1873)
• Menno A. Schepers (Leipzig 1905) Full text

Translations

• Lucian, Alciphron, Aristainetos: courtesans. Calls, letters, epigrams. Munich: Goldmann. 1958 ( transferred from William Plankl )
• English Translation of Monro and Beloe (1791 )
• English translation in the Loeb Classical Library ( L383: Alciphron, Aelian, and Philostratus: The Letters )