Fake News in Ancient Greece: Forms and Functions of ‘False Information’ in Ancient Greek Literature

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Fake News in Ancient Greece

Forms and Functions of ‘False Information’ in Ancient Greek Literature

Edited by: Diego De Brasi , Amphilochios Papathomas and Theofanis Tsiampokalos

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

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About this book

Scholars have recognized that fake news is not a phenomenon peculiar to the 21st century. While efforts for a more focused approach to fake news in the ancient world have been carried out in the field of Roman history, the phenomenon of fake news in ancient Greece has received limited attention. The contributions in this volume offer a selective approach to this phenomenon by applying media and cultural studies instruments to ancient texts. They pinpoint parallels and differences between ancient and modern fake news by employing methods of literary and cultural studies, as well as historical-documentary analysis of ancient sources. In particular, they explore questions such as: To what extent does reflection on the concepts of truth, lie, and opinion influence ancient Greek political-rhetorical discourse? What is the political or social function of embedding ‘misleading information’ in ancient Greek historiographical texts or pamphlets? Which intentions are pursued with the help of fake news in literary and documentary texts? Can parallels be drawn with modern approaches to fake news? Thus, the volume investigates the mechanisms that historically lay behind the creation, dissemination, and adaptation of ‘misleading information’.

Author / Editor information

D. De Brasi and Th. Tsiampokalos, Trier Univ., Germany; A. Papathomas, National and Capodistrian Univ., Athens, Greece.

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Frontmatter
I

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Preface
V

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Contents
VII

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Fake News in Ancient Greece: Why Does It Matter?
1
Diego De Brasi, Amphilochios Papathomas and Theofanis Tsiampokalos
Ancient Philosophical Discussions on Truth, Falsehood, Opinion, and ‘Half-Truths’
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The Seventh Division of Plato’s Sophist as a Guide to Understanding the Nature of Fake News
27
Benedikt Strobel
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Alethes Logos and Eikos Mythos: Thoughts on Plato’s Distinction in the Timaeus
47
Diego De Brasi
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Lies as pharmaka in Plato’s Political Philosophy
65
Pia De Simone
Fake News in Ancient Greek Fictional Texts
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Fake News in Euripidean Drama
81
Aikaterini Koroli
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‘Fake News’ in the Novels of Chariton and Achilles Tatius
99
Nikoletta Kanavou
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Persuasion and Manipulation in Nonnus’ Dionysiaca: the Case of Semele
115
Katerina Carvounis
Fake News in Ancient Greek Science
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Fake News and Pandemics in Greco-Roman Antiquity
131
Athena Bazou
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Aristotle and Myths about Animals
149
Oliver Hellmann
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Fake News in Paradoxography of Imperial Times: The Case of Phlegon’s Book of Marvels
169
Marianna Thoma
Fake News in Ancient Greek Historiography
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Fake News from the Eastern Front: Herodotus and the Trojan War
187
Ioannis M. Konstantakos
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Fake News and Misinformation During War or Civil Conflict: Some Case Studies from Greek Historiography
213
Vassilios P. Vertoudakis
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‘Fake News’ as a Moralising Context: Rumours, Slanders and the Unmaking of a Political Career in Plutarch’s Kimon
221
Theofanis Tsiampokalos
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Forged Letters in Greek and Roman History and Historiography: Fake News as Stratagem
241
Frank Daubner
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Marcus Aurelius is Dead: Reflections on False News and on the Usurpation of Avidius Cassius
251
Patrick Reinard
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#notmyemperor: Theodosios (III), the Son of Maurice, and a Heraclian Disinformation Effort
269
Christian Rollinger
Ancient Greek Fake News and its Socio-Political Implications
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Fake News in the Public Discourse of Fourth- Century Athens
305
Rosalia Hatzilambrou
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As in a Game of Minesweeper: Fakeness, Imprecision, and Truth about the Body in Attic Oratory
321
Andreas Serafim
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ʻFake Newsʼ in Documentary Papyri from the Greco-Roman Period of Egypt: The Case of Calumny
343
Spyridoula Bounta
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Condemnation of Memory in the Greek Documentary Papyri: State-Sponsored Distribution of “Fake News”
353
Amphilochios Papathomas
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Fake News in Libanius’ Imperial Speeches: The Battle at Singara
373
Grammatiki Karla
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Fake News as a Literary Topos: The Case of Biblical and Hagiographical Texts
389
Anastasia Petropoulou
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Index
401

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

December 2, 2024

eBook ISBN:

9783111393629

Hardcover published on:

December 2, 2024

Hardcover ISBN:

9783111392424

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Front matter:

9

Main content:

406

Tables:

1

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111393629

eBook ISBN: 9783111393629

Hardcover ISBN: 9783111392424

Keywords for this book

Communication; political propaganda; scientific misinformation

Audience(s) for this book

Scholars in Classics, esp. Greek history, Greek literature, and Ancient Philosophy, Papyrologists

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Walter de Gruyter GmbH
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Fake News in Ancient Greece

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Fake News in Ancient Greece: Why Does It Matter?

The Seventh Division of Plato’s Sophist as a Guide to Understanding the Nature of Fake News

Alethes Logos and Eikos Mythos: Thoughts on Plato’s Distinction in the Timaeus

Lies as pharmaka in Plato’s Political Philosophy

Fake News in Euripidean Drama

‘Fake News’ in the Novels of Chariton and Achilles Tatius

Persuasion and Manipulation in Nonnus’ Dionysiaca: the Case of Semele

Fake News and Pandemics in Greco-Roman Antiquity

Aristotle and Myths about Animals

Fake News in Paradoxography of Imperial Times: The Case of Phlegon’s Book of Marvels

Fake News from the Eastern Front: Herodotus and the Trojan War

Fake News and Misinformation During War or Civil Conflict: Some Case Studies from Greek Historiography

‘Fake News’ as a Moralising Context: Rumours, Slanders and the Unmaking of a Political Career in Plutarch’s Kimon

Forged Letters in Greek and Roman History and Historiography: Fake News as Stratagem

Marcus Aurelius is Dead: Reflections on False News and on the Usurpation of Avidius Cassius

#notmyemperor: Theodosios (III), the Son of Maurice, and a Heraclian Disinformation Effort

Fake News in the Public Discourse of Fourth- Century Athens

As in a Game of Minesweeper: Fakeness, Imprecision, and Truth about the Body in Attic Oratory

ʻFake Newsʼ in Documentary Papyri from the Greco-Roman Period of Egypt: The Case of Calumny

Condemnation of Memory in the Greek Documentary Papyri: State-Sponsored Distribution of “Fake News”

Fake News in Libanius’ Imperial Speeches: The Battle at Singara

Fake News as a Literary Topos: The Case of Biblical and Hagiographical Texts

Index

Bibliographic data