Series |
Lexis Supplements
Edited book | Everyday Communication in Antiquity: Frames and Framings
Chapter | Frames, Framings and Beyond
Frames, Framings and Beyond
Afterthoughts and Other Discoursal ‘Add-Ons’ in Greek Private Letter Writing
Abstract
In this chapter, we review the function of ‘postscripts’ in Roman-period private letter writing. We argue that postscripts did not merely serve to complete information omitted from the main message (so-called ‘afterthoughts’), but also fulfilled other roles, such as managing shared knowledge between initiator and recipient or addressing individuals mentioned in the letter’s salutations. The various types of postscripts we identify are differentiated based on their integration within the letter’s overall discourse structure, their relationship to the writer’s (lack of) discourse planning, and their typical linguistic characteristics. In the final part of the chapter, we examine the use of postscripts in the corpus of women’s letters, where postscripts appear conspicuously frequently.
Submitted: May 22, 2024 | Accepted: Oct. 8, 2024 | Published April 24, 2025 | Language: en
Keywords Apollonios strategos archive • Discoursal ‘add-on’ • Epistolography • Women • Afterthought • Postscript
Copyright © 2025 Klaas Bentein, Marianna Thoma. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-886-6/005
