Libanus and the Death of Julian

Libanus and the Death of Julian. Orations XVII and XVIII – Few Remarks on the True Emotions Behind Convention Two speeches composed by Libanius after the unexpected death of his emperor and friend, the Monody (XVII) and the Funeral Speech (XVIII), fulfill the requirements of the genre so perfect...

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Main Author: Joanna Janik
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Ksiegarnia Akademicka Publishing 2018-12-01
Series:Classica Cracoviensia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.akademicka.pl/cc/article/view/888
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author Joanna Janik
author_facet Joanna Janik
author_sort Joanna Janik
collection DOAJ
description Libanus and the Death of Julian. Orations XVII and XVIII – Few Remarks on the True Emotions Behind Convention Two speeches composed by Libanius after the unexpected death of his emperor and friend, the Monody (XVII) and the Funeral Speech (XVIII), fulfill the requirements of the genre so perfectly that it is easy to classify them as purely conventional. Both the structure and content, not to mention the language, demonstrate the author’s literary fluency rather than originality. Yet I would like to argue that even if the concept and form of the speeches reproduce the well established pattern, my personal impression that there is something unique in these works is not completely groundless. Libanius’ friendship and respect for the late emperor, as well as the political situation after Julian’s death, make the orator’s commitment exceptional and I cannot resist the feeling that his grief and confusion are genuine. I would like to focus on the passages referring directly to the circumstances of the emperor’s death, since Libanius’ approach to the explanation of this tragic event seems crucial for my argument.
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spelling doaj.art-c589c0fd782347e68419878ac3f288762022-12-22T00:40:06ZdeuKsiegarnia Akademicka PublishingClassica Cracoviensia1505-89132391-67532018-12-012110.12797/CC.21.2018.21.05Libanus and the Death of JulianJoanna Janik0Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland Libanus and the Death of Julian. Orations XVII and XVIII – Few Remarks on the True Emotions Behind Convention Two speeches composed by Libanius after the unexpected death of his emperor and friend, the Monody (XVII) and the Funeral Speech (XVIII), fulfill the requirements of the genre so perfectly that it is easy to classify them as purely conventional. Both the structure and content, not to mention the language, demonstrate the author’s literary fluency rather than originality. Yet I would like to argue that even if the concept and form of the speeches reproduce the well established pattern, my personal impression that there is something unique in these works is not completely groundless. Libanius’ friendship and respect for the late emperor, as well as the political situation after Julian’s death, make the orator’s commitment exceptional and I cannot resist the feeling that his grief and confusion are genuine. I would like to focus on the passages referring directly to the circumstances of the emperor’s death, since Libanius’ approach to the explanation of this tragic event seems crucial for my argument. https://journals.akademicka.pl/cc/article/view/888Libaniusrhetoricmonodyfuneral speech
spellingShingle Joanna Janik
Libanus and the Death of Julian
Classica Cracoviensia
Libanius
rhetoric
monody
funeral speech
title Libanus and the Death of Julian
title_full Libanus and the Death of Julian
title_fullStr Libanus and the Death of Julian
title_full_unstemmed Libanus and the Death of Julian
title_short Libanus and the Death of Julian
title_sort libanus and the death of julian
topic Libanius
rhetoric
monody
funeral speech
url https://journals.akademicka.pl/cc/article/view/888
work_keys_str_mv AT joannajanik libanusandthedeathofjulian