Overview

Modern notions of celebrity, fame, and infamy reach back to the time of Homer's Iliad. During the Hellenistic period, in particular, the Greek understanding of fame became more widely known, and adapted, to accommodate or respond to non-Greek understandings of reputation in society and culture. This collection of essays illustrates the ways in which the characteristics of fame and infamy in the Hellenistic era distinguished themselves and how they were represented in diverse and unique ways throughout the Mediterranean. The means of recording fame and infamy included public art, literature, sculpture, coinage, and inscribed monuments. The ruling elite carefully employed these means throughout the different Hellenistic kingdoms, and these essays demonstrate how they operated in the creation of social, political, and cultural values. The authors examine the cultural means whereby fame and infamy entered social consciousness, and explore the nature and effect of this important and enduring sociological phenomenon.

Full Product Details

Author:   Riemer Faber
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.500kg
ISBN:  

9781487505226

ISBN 10:   1487505221
Pages:   276
Publication Date:   02 April 2020
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction: Distinctives of Hellenistic Celebrity, Fame, and Infamy Riemer A. Faber 1. Fama and Infamia: The Tale of Grypos and Tryphaina Sheila L. Ager 2. Models of Virtue, Models of Poetry: The Quest for “Everlasting Fame” in Hellenistic Military Epitaphs Silvia Barbantani 3. Can Powerful Women be Popular? Amastris: Shaping a Persian Wife into a Famous Hellenistic Queen Monica D’Agostini 4. Remelted or Overstruck: Cases of Monetary Damnatio Memoriae in Hellenistic Times François de Callataÿ 5. Ptolemaic Officials and Officers in Search of Fame Christelle Fischer-Bovet 6. Lemnian Infamy and Masculine Glory in Apollonios’ Argonautica Judith Fletcher 7. The “Good” Poros and the “Bad” Poros: Infamy and Honour in Alexander Historiography Timothy Howe 8. Writing Monarchs of the Hellenistic Age: Renown, Fame, and Infamy Jacqueline Klooster 9. Creating Alexander: The “Official” History of Kallisthenes of Olynthos Waldemar Heckel References Contributors Index

Reviews

If celebrities are mirrors of society, we are in terrible shape. This volume suggests, however, that our misery has deep historical roots. Tracing the irrevocably powerful role fame and infamy assumed in the Hellenistic world, the studies assembled in this book reveal how ancient rulers immersed themselves in the quest for renown and reputation. Along the way, Hellenistic society produced some of the finest tabloid kings and queens of all times. Knowledgeable and entertaining, Riemer A. Faber's collection subtly reminds readers of the long cultural legacy at play each time they hit the 'follow' button. - Hans Beck, Department of Ancient History, Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat, Munster Celebrity, Fame, and Infamy in the Hellenistic World offers a new and unparalleled contribution to Hellenistic studies: a fascinating expose of multimedia self-promotion from Alexander the Great to Antony's Cleopatra. This interdisciplinary collection also demonstrates that the lives of the rich and famous, and oftentimes infamous, were as interesting to ancient audiences around a Mediterranean basin linked by efficient communication and international travel as they are to moderns tuned in to contemporary social media. - James J. Clauss, Department of Classics, University of Washington

"""Celebrity, Fame, and Infamy in the Hellenistic World offers a new and unparalleled contribution to Hellenistic studies: a fascinating exposé of multimedia self-promotion from Alexander the Great to Antony's Cleopatra. This interdisciplinary collection also demonstrates that the lives of the rich and famous, and oftentimes infamous, were as interesting to ancient audiences around a Mediterranean basin linked by efficient communication and international travel as they are to moderns tuned in to contemporary social media.""--James J. Clauss, Department of Classics, University of Washington ""The scholarship is uniformly sound and the essays reflect the latest scholarship on their respective topics. The bibliographies are extensive and comprehensive.""--Glenn Bugh, Department of History, Virginia Tech ""If celebrities are mirrors of society, we are in terrible shape. This volume suggests, however, that our misery has deep historical roots. Tracing the irrevocably powerful role fame and infamy assumed in the Hellenistic world, the studies assembled in this book reveal how ancient rulers immersed themselves in the quest for renown and reputation. Along the way, Hellenistic society produced some of the finest tabloid kings and queens of all times. Knowledgeable and entertaining, Riemer A. Faber's collection subtly reminds readers of the long cultural legacy at play each time they hit the 'follow' button.""--Hans Beck, Department of Ancient History, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster"

Author Information

Riemer A. Faber is a professor in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Waterloo.

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