Fake News in Ancient Greece : Forms and Functions of False Information in Ancient Greek Literature

by: De Brasi, D. Papathomas, A. Tsiampokalos, Th.

Fake News in Ancient Greece
Forms and Functions of ?False Information? in Ancient Greek Literature
Edited by: Diego De Brasi , Amphilochios Papathomas and Theofanis Tsiampokalos

About this book
Scholars have recognized that fake news is not a phenomenon peculiar to the 21st century. While efforts for a more focused approach to fake news in the ancient world have been carried out in the field of Roman history, the phenomenon of fake news in ancient Greece has received limited attention. The contributions in this volume offer a selective approach to this phenomenon by applying media and cultural studies instruments to ancient texts. They pinpoint parallels and differences between ancient and modern fake news by employing methods of literary and cultural studies, as well as historical-documentary analysis of ancient sources. In particular, they explore questions such as: To what extent does reflection on the concepts of truth, lie, and opinion influence ancient Greek political-rhetorical discourse? What is the political or social function of embedding ?misleading information? in ancient Greek historiographical texts or pamphlets? Which intentions are pursued with the help of fake news in literary and documentary texts? Can parallels be drawn with modern approaches to fake news? Thus, the volume investigates the mechanisms that historically lay behind the creation, dissemination, and adaptation of ?misleading information?.

Author / Editor information
D. De Brasi and Th. Tsiampokalos, Trier Univ., Germany; A. Papathomas, National and Capodistrian Univ., Athens, Greece.

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Fake News in Ancient Greece: Why Does It Matter?

Diego De Brasi, Amphilochios Papathomas and Theofanis Tsiampokalos
Ancient Philosophical Discussions on Truth, Falsehood, Opinion, and ?Half-Truths?
The Seventh Division of Plato?s Sophist as a Guide to Understanding the Nature of Fake News

Benedikt Strobel
Alethes Logos and Eikos Mythos: Thoughts on Plato?s Distinction in the Timaeus

Diego De Brasi
Lies as pharmaka in Plato?s Political Philosophy

Pia De Simone
Fake News in Ancient Greek Fictional Texts
Fake News in Euripidean Drama

Aikaterini Koroli
?Fake News? in the Novels of Chariton and Achilles Tatius

Nikoletta Kanavou
Persuasion and Manipulation in Nonnus? Dionysiaca: the Case of Semele

Katerina Carvounis
Fake News in Ancient Greek Science
Fake News and Pandemics in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Athena Bazou
Aristotle and Myths about Animals

Oliver Hellmann
Fake News in Paradoxography of Imperial Times: The Case of Phlegon?s Book of Marvels

Marianna Thoma
Fake News in Ancient Greek Historiography
Fake News from the Eastern Front: Herodotus and the Trojan War

Ioannis M. Konstantakos
Fake News and Misinformation During War or Civil Conflict: Some Case Studies from Greek Historiography

Vassilios P. Vertoudakis
?Fake News? as a Moralising Context: Rumours, Slanders and the Unmaking of a Political Career in Plutarch?s Kimon

Theofanis Tsiampokalos
Forged Letters in Greek and Roman History and Historiography: Fake News as Stratagem

Frank Daubner
Marcus Aurelius is Dead: Reflections on False News and on the Usurpation of Avidius Cassius

Patrick Reinard
#notmyemperor: Theodosios (III), the Son of Maurice, and a Heraclian Disinformation Effort

Christian Rollinger
Ancient Greek Fake News and its Socio-Political Implications
Fake News in the Public Discourse of Fourth- Century Athens

Rosalia Hatzilambrou
As in a Game of Minesweeper: Fakeness, Imprecision, and Truth about the Body in Attic Oratory

Andreas Serafim
ʻFake Newsʼ in Documentary Papyri from the Greco-Roman Period of Egypt: The Case of Calumny

Spyridoula Bounta
Condemnation of Memory in the Greek Documentary Papyri: State-Sponsored Distribution of “Fake News”

Amphilochios Papathomas
Fake News in Libanius? Imperial Speeches: The Battle at Singara

Grammatiki Karla
Fake News as a Literary Topos: The Case of Biblical and Hagiographical Texts

Anastasia Petropoulou
Index

Fake News in Ancient Greece : Forms and Functions of False Information in Ancient Greek Literature

by: De Brasi, D. Papathomas, A. Tsiampokalos, Th.

• ISBN-13: 9783111392424 / 978-3-11-139242-4
• ISBN-03: 3111392422 / 3-11-139242-2
• Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2024