Homer, Heliodorus and Pseudo-Callisthenes in Antony of Tagrit’s "Rhetoric"

This paper discusses the reuse of some pieces of Greek narrative in the Syriac treatise On Rhetoric, composed by the ninth-century schoolteacher Antony of Tagrit. The use of rhetorical devices appears in Syriac from the very start of the literary production, along with the Syrians’ engagement with the Greco-Roman paideia. Even if the knowledge and employment of rhetoric are manifest, it is hard to establish how rhetoric was taught in Syriac schools. A collection of teachings meant for pupils, Antony of Tagrit’s treatise is the first (and only) known handbook on Syriac rhetoric. The contents show solid connections to the Greco-Roman world, as well as many innovations proper to the Syriac tradition. Antony employs various quotations from previous works, meant to provide examples and models to his students. He uses Greek texts in Syriac translation, patristic texts and the Bible, together with works coming from the Syriac literary tradition. In this paper, I will focus on the first group and discuss a handful of quotations from Homer’s epic, Heliodorus’ Aethiopica and Pseudo-Callisthenes’ Alexander Romance employed in Antony’s handbook to explain rhetorical devices in class. The paper shows how these narratives were reshaped and crafted according to the needs of the recipient culture and proposes a possible path of circulation of said texts in the Syriac world. Paper details