Claudia Mársico
“Socrates’ chorus. On the historiographical Construction of the Socratic Circle.”

Abstract:

We will examine some curious aspects of the ancient historiography about the Socratic circle, paying attention to the testimonies of Aelius Aristides and Maximus of Tyre on the Socratic circle. This inquiry will allow us to characterize their common views and their role in transmission. We will explore Aristides and Maximus’ positive account of Aeschines biography, opposite to other testimonies that accuse him of being corrupt and a plagiarist. On this basis, we will assess the impact of these viewpoints on epistolographic material, especially in the Socratic letters. This review will illuminate the relation between Aelius Aristides and Maximus of Tyre and their cultural environment, as a sign that shed light on a significant turn in the transmission processes that influenced our knowledge of the whole range of ancient philosophies.