Lisa Irene Hau
Biographic Data
| ID | 4125133 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Lisa Irene Hau |
| GIVEN NAMES | Lisa Irene |
| FAMILY NAME | Hau |
| SIGNATURE | HAU L I |
| AFFILIATIONS | Senior Lecturer, Department of Classics, University of Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland UK |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8666-8439 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
The Classical and Hellenistic Greek Historiographical Proem Tradition
This paper surveys the extant proems of Greek historiography from Hecataeus to Dionysius of Halicarnassus. It considers the proems through the lens of intellectual networking, arguing that each author through his proem inscribes himself into two distinct intellectual networks: a diachronic network of the authors he wants to be considered his predecessors, both historiographical and otherwise, and a synchronic network of his readers or audience, w…
Rethinking Hellenistic Historiography
Re-evaluates the fragments of Duris, Phylarchus and Agatharchides Applies the theory of immersion to ancient texts Places the ‘tragic’ historians in their cultural context Provides a new understanding of Hellenistic historiography, including Polybius This book offers a new examination of the so-called tragic historiographers Duris and Phylarchus, as well as the 2nd century BCE historiographer Agatharchides, using Polybius as a foil throughout. Li…
Theories of the Soul in Polybius and Diodorus (on D. Rohmann, Psychologie in der hellenistischen Geschichtsschreibung)
Polybius
The Fragments of Polybius Compared with those of Duris and Phylarchus
This paper uses the ‘fragments’ of Polybius, i.e., the citations of Polybius found in other authors, as a test case for how to employ such fragments to gain an understanding of now lost works of Hellenistic historiography such as those of Duris and Phylarchus, who have often been denigrated as ‘tragic historians’. Firstly, it compares the distribution of cover-texts citing Polybius with those citing Duris and Phylarchus. Secondly, it compares the…
Pathos with a Point
This chapter discusses accounts of violence in so-called tragic history and suggests that this Hellenistic subgenre may better be understood as an attempt to write experiential history. It begins with defining what characterized ‘tragic’ or ‘sensationalist’ accounts of violence and atrocities, taking Diodorus Siculus’ account of the sack of Selinus (Diod. Sic. 13.57) as its case study, comparing it with passages of Thucydides and Polybius to illu…
The Shadow of What Might Have Been
Thucydides
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Thucydides. Using the moralising techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it discovers that Thucydides uses a root version of many of the techniques found in more developed form in the two Hellenistic historiographers, but that, like Herodotus, he also moralises on the macro-plane by means of a structure of subtly repeating patterns. In a…
Polybius
This chapter offers a thorough analysis of the moral-didactic lessons and moralising techniques of Polybius. It finds that practical, political, and moral didacticism are confluent in his Histories , and that moral actions are often shown to result in practical benefits for the moral actor. It also establishes that Polybius’ moral lessons are largely traditional, except for a lack of interest in piety and a high tolerance for brutal actions of wa…
Fragmentary Classical Historiography
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of the Oxyrhynchus Historian, Ephorus of Cyme, and Theopompus of Chios. Using the techniques and lessons discovered and analysed throughout the book so far as a point of departure, it is tentatively concluded that both the Oxyrhynchus Historian and Ephorus seem to have been close to Thucydides and Xenophon in their moralising, but that Theopompus may have been radically innovative.…
Herodotus
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Herodotus. Using the moralising techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it discovers that Herodotus uses a root version of many of the techniques found in more developed form in the two Hellenistic historiographers, but that he also moralises on the macro-plane by means of a structure of subtly repeating patterns. In terms of moral lesso…
Fragmentary Hellenistic Historiography
This chapter analyses the fragments of Timaeus of Tauromenium, Duris of Samos, Phylarchus, Agatharchides of Cnidus, Posidonius of Apamea, and Hieronymus of Cardia in order to uncover any hints of moral didacticism in their works. Using the lessons and techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it forms a theory about the moralising of each of the authors discussed, while always acknowledging the hypothetical…
Xenophon, Hellenica
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Xenophon’s Hellenika . In terms of techniques, it discovers that Xenophon stands at a midway point between his Classical predecessors and Hellenistic successors, but that he uses scenes with dialogue without explicit narratorial interpretation more than any of the other historiographers studied. With regard to moral lessons, piety looms large in Xenophon, where divine justice al…
Diodorus Siculus
This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the Diodorus source problem and its bearing on the argument. It then offers a thorough analysis of the moral-didactic lessons and moralising techniques of Diodorus Siculus. It finds that Diodorus’ story universe is governed by divine forces, which are largely just, and that this makes piety the cardinal virtue of his historical actors. Diodorus also condemns brutality and cruel behaviour in any conte…
Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus
An investigation of moral-didactic techniques and messages in ancient Greek historiography Why did human beings first begin to write history? Lisa Irene Hau argues that a driving force among Greek historians was the desire to use the past to teach lessons about the present and for the future. She uncovers the moral messages of the ancient Greek writers of history and the techniques they used to bring them across. Hau also shows how moral didactic…
Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus
Why did human beings first begin to write history? Lisa Irene Hau argues that a driving force among Greek historians was the desire to use the past to teach lessons about the present and for the future. She uncovers the moral messages of the ancient Greek writers of history and the techniques they used to bring them across. Hau also shows how moral didacticism was an integral part of the writing of history from its inception in the 5th century BC…
Stock Situations, Topoi and the Greekness of Greek Historiography
Stock Situations, Topoi and the Greekness of Greek Historiography
Nothing to Celebrate? The Lack or Disparagement of Victory Celebrations in the Greek Historians
The Greek historians of the Classical and Hellenistic periods preserve information about few victory celebrations. This chapter examines what these Greek historians actually say took place in terms of celebration after battles and offers some considerations about the possible reasons for their selectivity and silences on the subject. First, it looks at the three Classical historians, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. The Greek historians are g…
Does Pride Go before a Fall? Xenophon on Arrogant Pride
The line between self-confident pride and hurtful arrogance can be very fine, but is very rarely explored by ancient authors. This chapter argues that Xenophon was more interested in, and troubled by, this ambiguity in Greek thought than most other ancient writers, and that his stance on the issue both ties in closely with the overall moral-didactic purpose of his writing and points towards his Hellenistic successors in the historiographical genr…
Beyond the Battlefields
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Beyond the Battlefields
Does Pride Go before a Fall? Xenophon on Arrogant Pride
The line between self-confident pride and hurtful arrogance can be very fine, but is very rarely explored by ancient authors. This chapter argues that Xenophon was more interested in, and troubled by, this ambiguity in Greek thought than most other ancient writers, and that his stance on the issue both ties in closely with the overall moral-didactic purpose of his writing and points towards his Hellenistic successors in the historiographical genr…
Nothing to Celebrate? The Lack or Disparagement of Victory Celebrations in the Greek Historians
The Greek historians of the Classical and Hellenistic periods preserve information about few victory celebrations. This chapter examines what these Greek historians actually say took place in terms of celebration after battles and offers some considerations about the possible reasons for their selectivity and silences on the subject. First, it looks at the three Classical historians, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. The Greek historians are g…
Stock Situations, Topoi and the Greekness of Greek Historiography
Stock Situations, Topoi and the Greekness of Greek Historiography
Thucydides
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Thucydides. Using the moralising techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it discovers that Thucydides uses a root version of many of the techniques found in more developed form in the two Hellenistic historiographers, but that, like Herodotus, he also moralises on the macro-plane by means of a structure of subtly repeating patterns. In a…
Polybius
This chapter offers a thorough analysis of the moral-didactic lessons and moralising techniques of Polybius. It finds that practical, political, and moral didacticism are confluent in his Histories , and that moral actions are often shown to result in practical benefits for the moral actor. It also establishes that Polybius’ moral lessons are largely traditional, except for a lack of interest in piety and a high tolerance for brutal actions of wa…
Fragmentary Classical Historiography
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of the Oxyrhynchus Historian, Ephorus of Cyme, and Theopompus of Chios. Using the techniques and lessons discovered and analysed throughout the book so far as a point of departure, it is tentatively concluded that both the Oxyrhynchus Historian and Ephorus seem to have been close to Thucydides and Xenophon in their moralising, but that Theopompus may have been radically innovative.…
Herodotus
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Herodotus. Using the moralising techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it discovers that Herodotus uses a root version of many of the techniques found in more developed form in the two Hellenistic historiographers, but that he also moralises on the macro-plane by means of a structure of subtly repeating patterns. In terms of moral lesso…
Fragmentary Hellenistic Historiography
This chapter analyses the fragments of Timaeus of Tauromenium, Duris of Samos, Phylarchus, Agatharchides of Cnidus, Posidonius of Apamea, and Hieronymus of Cardia in order to uncover any hints of moral didacticism in their works. Using the lessons and techniques found and analysed in Polybius and Diodorus as its point of departure, it forms a theory about the moralising of each of the authors discussed, while always acknowledging the hypothetical…
Xenophon, Hellenica
This chapter analyses the moralising techniques and moral lessons of Xenophon’s Hellenika . In terms of techniques, it discovers that Xenophon stands at a midway point between his Classical predecessors and Hellenistic successors, but that he uses scenes with dialogue without explicit narratorial interpretation more than any of the other historiographers studied. With regard to moral lessons, piety looms large in Xenophon, where divine justice al…
Diodorus Siculus
This chapter begins with a brief discussion of the Diodorus source problem and its bearing on the argument. It then offers a thorough analysis of the moral-didactic lessons and moralising techniques of Diodorus Siculus. It finds that Diodorus’ story universe is governed by divine forces, which are largely just, and that this makes piety the cardinal virtue of his historical actors. Diodorus also condemns brutality and cruel behaviour in any conte…
Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus
An investigation of moral-didactic techniques and messages in ancient Greek historiography Why did human beings first begin to write history? Lisa Irene Hau argues that a driving force among Greek historians was the desire to use the past to teach lessons about the present and for the future. She uncovers the moral messages of the ancient Greek writers of history and the techniques they used to bring them across. Hau also shows how moral didactic…
Moral History from Herodotus to Diodorus Siculus
Why did human beings first begin to write history? Lisa Irene Hau argues that a driving force among Greek historians was the desire to use the past to teach lessons about the present and for the future. She uncovers the moral messages of the ancient Greek writers of history and the techniques they used to bring them across. Hau also shows how moral didacticism was an integral part of the writing of history from its inception in the 5th century BC…
The Shadow of What Might Have Been
Pathos with a Point
This chapter discusses accounts of violence in so-called tragic history and suggests that this Hellenistic subgenre may better be understood as an attempt to write experiential history. It begins with defining what characterized ‘tragic’ or ‘sensationalist’ accounts of violence and atrocities, taking Diodorus Siculus’ account of the sack of Selinus (Diod. Sic. 13.57) as its case study, comparing it with passages of Thucydides and Polybius to illu…
The Fragments of Polybius Compared with those of Duris and Phylarchus
This paper uses the ‘fragments’ of Polybius, i.e., the citations of Polybius found in other authors, as a test case for how to employ such fragments to gain an understanding of now lost works of Hellenistic historiography such as those of Duris and Phylarchus, who have often been denigrated as ‘tragic historians’. Firstly, it compares the distribution of cover-texts citing Polybius with those citing Duris and Phylarchus. Secondly, it compares the…
Polybius
Theories of the Soul in Polybius and Diodorus (on D. Rohmann, Psychologie in der hellenistischen Geschichtsschreibung)
The Classical and Hellenistic Greek Historiographical Proem Tradition
This paper surveys the extant proems of Greek historiography from Hecataeus to Dionysius of Halicarnassus. It considers the proems through the lens of intellectual networking, arguing that each author through his proem inscribes himself into two distinct intellectual networks: a diachronic network of the authors he wants to be considered his predecessors, both historiographical and otherwise, and a synchronic network of his readers or audience, w…
Rethinking Hellenistic Historiography
Re-evaluates the fragments of Duris, Phylarchus and Agatharchides Applies the theory of immersion to ancient texts Places the ‘tragic’ historians in their cultural context Provides a new understanding of Hellenistic historiography, including Polybius This book offers a new examination of the so-called tragic historiographers Duris and Phylarchus, as well as the 2nd century BCE historiographer Agatharchides, using Polybius as a foil throughout. Li…
History (18 works) · Classical Antiquity Studies (16 works) · Art (15 works) · Literature (15 works) · Philosophy (14 works) · Archaeology (10 works) · Historiography (9 works) · Classics (7 works) · Epistemology (6 works) · Law (6 works)