Universe of Platonic Thought 2024

32nd International Conference “The Universe of Platonic Thought: Plato’s Heritage in the History of Science and Education”

Andrey Kurbanov, CSc in History; Sociological Institute, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Research Assistant; A.M.Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), Research Assistant

Lydia Spyridonova, CSc in History; Sociological Institute, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Research Fellow; A.M.Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), Research Fellow

The Ancient Sources of the Leichoudes Brothers' Manual on Epistolography for the Slavic Greek Latin Academy*

In ancient times, letter-writing exercises were part of the school curriculum for young men aged twelve to fifteen. Two surviving manuals, the "Τύποι ἐπιστολικοί" ('Epistolary Types') and the "Ἐπιστολιμαῖοι χαρακτῆρες" ('Epistolary Styles'), provided model letters for teaching. The former, incorrectly attributed to Demetrius of Phalerum, was created in Egypt around the 1st century BC/AD, while the latter, falsely attributed to Libanius or Proclus, dates to the 4th–6th centuries AD.The Leichoudes brothers' textbook, "Περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐπιστολικῶν χαρακτήρων μεθόδου", refers to Pseudo-Libanius' text in its title and introduction, where a letter is defined as a dialogue between absent interlocutors. However, the types of letters in their manual coincide with those of Pseudo-Demetrius.The Leichoudes' work introduces innovations, dividing epistolographic styles into epideictic, judicial, and deliberative genera, following Aristotle's rhetoric (1358b). Their manual also included a practical part, absent in Byzantine manuals, explaining letter formatting and addressing recipients of various statuses, with detailed explanations and examples of reply letters.The Leichoudes brothers' epistolography textbook synthesizes ancient and Byzantine heritage with new elements reflecting Aristotelianism and practical needs.

Keywords: Leichoudes brothers, Slavic Greek Latin Academy, Ancient epistolography, Epistolary manuals, Τύποι ἐπιστολικοί (Epistolary Types)

In ancient times, exercises in writing letters were part of the school curriculum. Young men aged twelve to fifteen were taught the basics of epistolary art after studying grammar, using manuals with model letters. Two versions of such manuals have survived to our day. The oldest of them is the “Τύποι ἐπιστολικοί” (‘Epistolary Types’), incorrectly attributed to Demetrius of Phalerum. This work was created in Egypt, probably at the turn of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, although its foundation originated in pre-Roman Greece. The second manual is the “Ἐπιστολιμαῖοι χαρακτῆρες” (‘Epistolary Styles’), falsely attributed either to the rhetorician Libanius or to the Neoplatonist Proclus, and dated to the 4th–6th centuries AD.

The very title of the textbook by the Leichoudes brothers, “Περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐπιστολικῶν χαρακτήρων μεθόδου” (‘On the Method of Epistolary Styles’), refers to the text of Pseudo-Libanius. The connection with it can also be traced in the introduction, where the definition of a letter as a dialogue between absent interlocutors is given. However, the types of letters distinguished by the Leichoudes fully coincide with the types of the manual by Pseudo-Demetrius.

The work of the Leichoudes introduces innovations into the previous tradition. Unlike Byzantine and Late Antique manuals, the Leichoudes brothers, being adherents of Aristotelianism (like many post-Byzantine scholars), divided epistolographic styles into three genera in accordance with the three genera of rhetoric distinguished by Aristotle: epideictic, judicial, and deliberative (1358b). Moreover, their manual contained a practical part, absent in Byzantine manuals, which explained how to properly format letters and address recipients of various statuses. All types of letters were provided with detailed explanations and examples of reply letters.

Thus, the epistolography textbook by the Leichoudes brothers represents a synthesis of ancient and Byzantine heritage with the introduction of new elements reflecting the influence of Aristotelianism and an orientation toward practical needs.

* The study was funded by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 24-28-01075 “A Course in Epistolography by the Leichoudes Brothers at the Slavic Greek Latin Academy: Edition of an Unpublished Text and Study of the Teaching Methodology” (Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences), https://rscf.ru/project/24-28-01075/