A new approach to historiography
The period under study covers the last phase of the Peloponnesian war and the emergence of Spartan supremacy (i.e. from 412 BC to 386 B.C.). The text in question is the Hellenica Oxyrhynchia (HO), which comprises three papyrus fragments. Before addressing the topic of authorship, the 'Historiographical tendencies during the period of Spartan hegemony' (HTDPSH) project spotlighted literary and historiographical questions deemed to be of more importance. Through the application of various strategies (narratology, historical inquiry, papyrological investigation and literary comparison), the study first sought to shed light on how the text relates to Thucydides and Xenophon. The analysis thus closely investigated vocabulary and style, without overlooking broader issues of narrative technique and interpretation.Initial research led to a refined set of project objectives, which in their majority have been achieved. These include an examination and clarification of the structure and narrative devices of the HO through a close comparison of previous and contemporary historical works. Significant findings were detailed, revealing new narrative patterns in the HO.Other research findings related to the author’s identity: it is possible that the HO and the Theramenes papyrus had the same author. Despite this, HTDPSH carried out a revised reading of Diodorus, and also examined the political language of Thucydides in an attempt to discover stylistic clues similar to those offered in the HO. No definitive conclusions could be drawn from this exercise.Study of the topic of moralism in the various writings studied revealed that the HO's historiographical view differs considerably from that of contemporary authors such as Xenophon, Theopompus and Ephorus. This offers a new path for future research considering the HO authorship issue.The project's main deliverable was a monograph that proposes a new methodological approach to studying the HO and other fragmentary historians in general. As such, it will constitute an unprecedented scientific tool, encouraging further studies in the field. Future work is planned, with the final goal being the production of a manuscript detailing and discussing all findings relative to HTDPSH's subject.
Keywords
Greek history, Spartan supremacy, Hellenica Oxyrhynchia, narratology, historical inquiry, papyrological investigation, literary comparison
