Philodemus on Olbia: Burebista, imperialism and philosophy
Journal Title: Eminak - Year 2016, Vol 0, Issue 4
Abstract
In this paper to considered various concerns and problems which are not usually discussed together, even though they share a common relevance to the history of Olbia and the western Black Sea in the years of the late Roman Republic and early Principate. In particular, to tackled the (perhaps shockingly) small amount of direct evidence for King Burebista, about whom so much has been written and imagined by modern scholars. Here the purpose is to consider not simply how much we really know about his reign (and more specifically his dealings with Olbia), but also the nature and causes of the evident interest in him by Greek writers of the Roman period. That to entailed some consideration of the abiding significance of traditions surrounding Zalmoxis and other Thracians (notably Rhesus) from at least the fifth century BC, through imperial Greek culture, and on into late antiquity. And that in turn to highlighted the role of philosophy in its many forms (including politics, medicine and the possible immortality of the soul) in Greek and Roman conceptions about Olbia and its broader region, with the Cynic philosopher Bion (often known as Bion of Borysthenes) to the fore. A neglected (and problematic) few lines of Philodemus will be brought to bear on these matters, while we may be left with a rather different sense even of Burebista.
Authors and Affiliations
Devid Braund
Keywords
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