Antiquity Studies

Series | Antiquity Studies
Edited book | Wisdom Between East and West: Mesopotamia, Greece and Beyond
Chapter | Wise Man and Poet in Ancient Greece: Features and Overlaps

Wise Man and Poet in Ancient Greece: Features and Overlaps

Abstract

In ancient Greece, the notion of wisdom was expressed by the word σοφία, which implied different nuances of meaning and was used to identify the activities of very different categories of people: among them, even the poet was often recognised (or at least defined) as σοφός, as a ‘wise’ man, or a ‘sage’. This paper aims to analyse the reasons for this identification, especially from the perspective of the audience: what were the features of a poet – who introduced himself as a poet – that could lead his audience to assume that he was a σοφός? The answer probably has more to do with the forms of expression of a traditional ancient Greek poet than with the content of his poetry.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Feb. 15, 2024 | Accepted: Feb. 15, 2024 | Published July 9, 2024 | Language: en

Keywords Ancient GreeceSophiaTraditionPerformanceAudiencePoetry


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