Genealogy in the development of ancient historiography

Genealogy and history in Herodotus

Bibliographic Data

ID5199782
AuthorsCamila Condilo (0000-0002-7030-1349, Universidade de Brasília, corresponding author)
Year2022
Issue181
Pages1-48
Publication date2022-01-04
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRevista de História (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0034-8309 • E-ISSN: 2316-9141
PublisherUniversidade de São Paulo. Agência de Bibliotecas e Coleções Digitais (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.11606/issn.2316-9141.rh.2022.180558
OpenAlexW4206932013
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited15

In this article, I suggest that genealogy was a rhetorical strategy to build authority in the ancient history writing. In this way, I divide my argument into four parts. Firstly, I present my understanding of genealogy and authority, as these concepts orient my selection and analysis of the evidence. Secondly, I turn to the genealogical evidence, trying to demonstrate its relation with controversial debates and its role as a rhetorical tool. For this, I compare Herodotus' and Isocrates' use of genealogy, and suggest that genealogy was a form of tekmerion. Thirdly, I try to substantiate this hypothesis by looking at both Aristotle's definition of tekmerion and to what extent Herodotus and Isocrates share his understanding of this word. Finally, I present considerations about why genealogy was such a powerful rhetorical resource in discourses of various nature, history included

Archaeology · Argument (complex analysis · Art · Biology · Genealogy · Historiography · Literature · Narrative · Relation (database · Rhetorical question · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Computer Science · Historical and Literary Studies · History

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Open DOIOpen Access