Aphthonius of Antioch

Aphthonios of Antioch (Greek Ἀφθόνιος Ἀντιοχεὺς ὁ Σύρος; Latinized: Aphthonius ) was a Greek sophist and rhetorician, who lived in the second half of the 4th century or later in Antioch on the Orontes.

About his life nothing is known except that he was a pupil of Libanius and friend of Eutropius, who is able to identify with the eponymous author of an Epitome of Roman history. The mentioned by Photius documented set of practice speeches of Aphthonios are lost. In contrast, his Progymnasmata ( Προγυμνάσματα ) are obtained, a system designed for beginners book about the basic concepts of rhetoric with illustrative examples. Apparently there was a introduction to the Techne ( Τέχνη ) of Hermogenes of Tarsus. Aphthonios ' style is clear and simple; ancient critics praise his Atticism. In the Byzantine era, many comments were written to the Progymnasmata. The work was as a rhetorical introductory book, especially in Germany until the 17th century frequent use. It is known particularly named after Aphthonios Chria Aphthoniana. From 1507 to 1680 he was ten times ten translated by different translators into Latin. In addition, from Aphthonios is a collection of forty fables in the style of Aesop receive.

Expenditure

• Hugo Raven ( eds.). Teubner, Leipzig, 1926. ( Modern critical edition ).
• Leonhard von Spengel (ed.): Rhetores Graeci. Volume 2, 1856, pp. 21f. (Greek: the pagination of this edition has since been adopted for the identification of passages ).
• Rodolphus Agricola, Giovanni Maria Catanaeo (ed.): Aphthonii Progymnasmata. In 1655. ( Latin )
• Daniel Heinsius (ed.): Progymnasmata Apthonii sophistae Grace. In 1626. ( Greek-Latin. Synopsis )
• Malcolm Heath: Aphthonius Progymnasmata. 1997 ( English translation).
• George Alexander Kennedy: Progymnasmata: Greek textbooks of prose composition and rhetoric. Pp. 95f. (English translation, online).
• Ray Nadeau. In: Speech Monographs. 19, 1952, pp. 264-285 (English translation ). Revised version: Patricia P. Matsen, inter alia, (Ed.): Readings from Classical Rhetoric. Pp. 266-288.
• Francesco de Furia (ed.): Fabulae. , 1810.