Jump to content

Alexandrine grammarians: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Changed "BC" to "BCE" to make it more consistent with the dates used elsewhere on the page.
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(36 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Alexandrine grammarians''' were [[philologist]]s and textual scholars who flourished in [[History of Alexandria|Hellenistic Alexandria]] in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, when that city was the center of [[Hellenistic]] culture. Despite the name, the work of the Alexandrine grammarians was never confined to grammar, and in fact may not have included it, since grammar in the modern sense is a post-classical discipline.<ref name="Forbes33">Forbes (1933) p.105</ref> In Hellenistic and later times, "grammarian" refers primarily to scholars concerned with the restoration, proper reading, explanation and interpretation of the classical texts, including literary criticism.<ref name=Frede1987>Frede (1987)</ref>
The '''Alexandrine grammarians''' were [[philologist]]s and textual scholars who flourished in [[History of Alexandria|Hellenistic Alexandria]] in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, when that city was the center of [[Hellenistic]] culture. Despite the name, the work of the Alexandrine grammarians was never confined to [[grammar]], and in fact did not include it, since grammar in the modern sense did not exist until the first century BCE.{{sfn|Forbes|1933|p=105}} In Hellenistic and later times, ''[[Grammarian (Greco-Roman world)|grammarian]]'' refers primarily to scholars concerned with the restoration, proper reading, explanation and interpretation of the classical texts, including literary criticism. However unlike [[Atticism]], their goal was not to reform the Greek in their day.{{sfn|Frede|1987}}


The Alexandrine grammarians undertook the critical revision of the works of classical [[Ancient Greek literature|Greek literature]],<ref name="Cruttwell">Charles Thomas Cruttwell ''[http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_histromlit_3_4.htm A History of Roman Literature: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius]''</ref> particularly those of [[Homer]], and their studies were were profoundly influential,{{fact}} marking the beginning of the ancient [[Western grammatical tradition]].<ref name="Thogmartin84">Thogmartin (1984) p.344</ref> From the beginning, a typical custom, and methodological bias of this tradition was to focus their commentary and analysis on de-contestualized sentences.<ref name="Thogmartin84"/><ref>Harris 1982</ref>
The Alexandrine grammarians undertook the critical revision of the works of classical [[Ancient Greek literature|Greek literature]],{{sfn|Cruttwell|1877}} particularly those of [[Homer]], and their studies were profoundly influential,{{sfn|Forbes|1933|p=112}} marking the beginning of the Western grammatical tradition.{{sfn|Thogmartin|1984|p=344}} From the beginning, a typical custom, and methodological bias of this tradition was to focus their commentary and analysis on de-contextualized sentences.{{sfn|Harris|1981}}{{sfn|Thogmartin|1984|p=344}}


==Notable members==
==Notable members==
Important members of the Alexandrian grammarians included:
Important members of the Alexandrian grammarians included:
*[[Zenodotus of Ephesus]] (fl. ca. 280 BCE): First superintendent of the [[Library of Alexandria]] and editor of Homer.
*[[Zenodotus of Ephesus]] (fl. c. 280 BCE): First superintendent of the [[Library of Alexandria]] and editor of Homer.
*[[Callimachus]] (fl. ca. 260 BCE): Poet, critic, and scholar who cataloged the Library.
*[[Callimachus]] (fl. c. 260 BCE): Poet, critic, and scholar who cataloged the Library.
*[[Aristophanes of Byzantium]] (ca. 257 BCE&ndash;ca. 185 BCE): Editor of Homer and inventor of the [[polytonic orthography]] of classical Greek.
*[[Aristophanes of Byzantium]] (c. 257 BCE&nbsp;– c. 185 BCE): Editor of Homer and inventor of the [[polytonic orthography]] of classical Greek.
*[[Aristarchus of Samothrace]] (ca. 220&ndash;ca. 143 BCE): Responsible for the most important critical edition of the Homeric poems.
*[[Aristarchus of Samothrace]] (c. 220&nbsp;– c. 143 BCE): Responsible for the most important critical edition of the Homeric poems.
*[[Dionysius Thrax]] (170 BCE&ndash;90 BCE): Homeric scholar and student of Aristarchus, who did author a Greek grammar, although it did not discuss syntax.
*[[Dionysius Thrax]] (170 BCE&nbsp;– 90 BCE): Homeric scholar and student of Aristarchus, who did author a Greek grammar, although it did not discuss syntax.
*[[Didymus Chalcenterus]]: (ca. 63 BCE&ndash;10 CE): Commentator on lyric and comic poets, who compiled and transmitted the work of his predecessors.
*[[Didymus Chalcenterus]]: (c. 63 BCE&nbsp;– 10 CE): Commentator on lyric and comic poets, who compiled and transmitted the work of his predecessors.


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 16: Line 16:


==References==
==References==
*{{cite web |first=Charles Thomas |last=Cruttwell |author-link=Charles Thomas Cruttwell |url=http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_histromlit_3_4.htm |title=A History of Roman Literature: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius |date=1877 |access-date=2008-03-30 |archive-date=2008-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202155530/http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_histromlit_3_4.htm |url-status=dead }}
*[[Roy Harris (linguist)|Harris, Roy]] (1982) "The Language Myth", London, Duckworth.
*{{cite journal
*{{Cite journal
|title=Greek Pioneers in Philology and Grammar
|title=Greek Pioneers in Philology and Grammar
|last=Forbes |first=P. B. R.
|last=Forbes |first=P. B. R.
Line 23: Line 23:
|volume=47
|volume=47
|issue=3
|issue=3
|page=105
|date= July 1933
|date= July 1933
|url=http://www.jstor.org/pss/699069
|pages=105–112 |jstor=699069
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|doi=10.1017/s0009840x00062028
⚫
}}
|s2cid=161911026 }}
*{{cite book
*{{Cite book
|title=Essays in Ancient Philosophy
|title=Essays in Ancient Philosophy
|url=https://archive.org/details/essaysancientphi00fred
⚫
|chapter="The Origins of Traditional Grammar
|url-access=limited
⚫
|chapter=The Origins of Traditional Grammar
|last= Frede |first=Michael
|last= Frede |first=Michael
|publisher= U. of Minnesota Press
|publisher= U. of Minnesota Press
|year=1987
|year=1987
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/essaysancientphi00fred/page/n366 338]–359
|page=339
|isbn=978-0816612758}}
|isbn=978-0-8166-1275-8
⚫
}}
*[[Clyde Thogmartin|Thogmartin, Clyde]] (1984) ''[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-111X(198402)57%3A3%3C344%3ATAACIF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 Tense, Aspect, and Context in French Narrative]'' The French Review, Vol. 57, No. 3 (Feb., 1984), pp. 344-349
*{{cite book| first=Roy |last=Harris |author-link=Roy Harris (linguist)|date=1981 |title=The Language Myth |location=London |publisher=Duckworth }}
*{{cite journal |first=Clyde |last=Thogmartin |title=Tense, Aspect, and Context in French Narrative |journal=The French Review |volume=57 |issue=3 |date=February 1984 |pages=344–349 |jstor=392746}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexandrine Grammarians}}
[[Category:Librarians of Alexandria]]
[[Category:Librarians of Alexandria|*]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek grammarians]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek grammarians]]
[[Category:Lexicographers]]
[[Category:Lexicographers]]

Latest revision as of 11:04, 21 September 2023

The Alexandrine grammarians were philologists and textual scholars who flourished in Hellenistic Alexandria in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, when that city was the center of Hellenistic culture. Despite the name, the work of the Alexandrine grammarians was never confined to grammar, and in fact did not include it, since grammar in the modern sense did not exist until the first century BCE.[1] In Hellenistic and later times, grammarian refers primarily to scholars concerned with the restoration, proper reading, explanation and interpretation of the classical texts, including literary criticism. However unlike Atticism, their goal was not to reform the Greek in their day.[2]

The Alexandrine grammarians undertook the critical revision of the works of classical Greek literature,[3] particularly those of Homer, and their studies were profoundly influential,[4] marking the beginning of the Western grammatical tradition.[5] From the beginning, a typical custom, and methodological bias of this tradition was to focus their commentary and analysis on de-contextualized sentences.[6][5]

Notable members

[edit]

Important members of the Alexandrian grammarians included:

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Forbes 1933, p. 105.
  2. ^ Frede 1987.
  3. ^ Cruttwell 1877.
  4. ^ Forbes 1933, p. 112.
  5. ^ a b Thogmartin 1984, p. 344.
  6. ^ Harris 1981.

References

[edit]
  • Cruttwell, Charles Thomas (1877). "A History of Roman Literature: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius". Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  • Forbes, P. B. R. (July 1933). "Greek Pioneers in Philology and Grammar". The Classical Review. 47 (3). Cambridge University Press: 105–112. doi:10.1017/s0009840x00062028. JSTOR 699069. S2CID 161911026.
  • Frede, Michael (1987). "The Origins of Traditional Grammar". Essays in Ancient Philosophy. U. of Minnesota Press. pp. 338–359. ISBN 978-0-8166-1275-8.
  • Harris, Roy (1981). The Language Myth. London: Duckworth.
  • Thogmartin, Clyde (February 1984). "Tense, Aspect, and Context in French Narrative". The French Review. 57 (3): 344–349. JSTOR 392746.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexandrine_grammarians&oldid=1176384234"