Choricius of Gaza
Encyclopedia
Choricius, of Gaza Greek sophist and rhetoric
ian, flourished in the time of Anastasius I (AD 491-518).
He was the pupil of Procopius of Gaza
, who must be distinguished from Procopius of Caesarea, the historian. A number of his declamations and descriptive treatises have been preserved. The declamations, which are in many cases accompanied by explanatory commentaries, chiefly consist of panegyric
s, funeral orations and the stock themes of the rhetorical schools. The wedding speeches, wishing prosperity to the bride and bridegroom, strike out a new line.
Choricius was also the author of descriptions of works of art after the manner of Philostratus. The moral maxims, which were a constant feature of his writings, were largely drawn upon by Macanus Chrysocephalas, metropolitan of Philadelphia (middle of the 14th century), in his Rodonia (rose-garden), a voluminous collection of ethical sayings.
The style of Choricius is praised by Photius as pure and elegant, but he is censured for lack of naturalness. A special feature of his style is the persistent avoidance of hiatus, peculiar to what is called the school of Gaza.
Translations
Secondary literature
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
ian, flourished in the time of Anastasius I (AD 491-518).
He was the pupil of Procopius of Gaza
Procopius of Gaza
Procopius of Gaza was a Christian sophist and rhetorician, one of the most important representatives of the famous school of his native place...
, who must be distinguished from Procopius of Caesarea, the historian. A number of his declamations and descriptive treatises have been preserved. The declamations, which are in many cases accompanied by explanatory commentaries, chiefly consist of panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
s, funeral orations and the stock themes of the rhetorical schools. The wedding speeches, wishing prosperity to the bride and bridegroom, strike out a new line.
Choricius was also the author of descriptions of works of art after the manner of Philostratus. The moral maxims, which were a constant feature of his writings, were largely drawn upon by Macanus Chrysocephalas, metropolitan of Philadelphia (middle of the 14th century), in his Rodonia (rose-garden), a voluminous collection of ethical sayings.
The style of Choricius is praised by Photius as pure and elegant, but he is censured for lack of naturalness. A special feature of his style is the persistent avoidance of hiatus, peculiar to what is called the school of Gaza.
Further reading
Edition- Richard FoersterRichard Foerster (classical scholar)Richard Foerster was a German classical scholar.- Biography :Though born and raised in Görlitz, Foerster never saw himself a Lusatian and felt the strongest allegiance to Silesia, where he studied since winter term 1861 after a semester at Jena. In Breslau he dropped theology and concentrated on...
and Eberhard Richtsteig, Choricii Gazaei opera, Leipzig, Teubner, 1929 (repr. Stuttgart, 1972).
Translations
- Fotios K. Litsas, Choricius of Gaza: An Approach to His Work. Introduction, translation, commentary, University of Chicago dissertation, 1980.
- Robert J. Penella (ed.), Rhetorical Exercises from Late Antiquity: A Translation of Choricius of Gaza's Preliminary Talks and Declamations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Secondary literature
- Catherine Saliou (ed.), Gaza dans l'Antiquité Tardive: Archéologie, rhétorique et histoire. Salerno: Helios, 2005.
External links
- Choricius, Orationes, declamationes, fragmenta, ed. Boissonade (1846)