Honoured Orators
This chapter considers Gellius's relations with the leading Roman orator of his age, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, and his Greek counterpart Herodes Atticus. Fronto, who appears in five chapters, is represented as rather closer to Gellius in his literary concerns than his preserved writings suggest, in particular more interested in linguistic purism; he is also made to cite Vergil, which the real Fronto never does, and to admire Claudius Quadrigarius, enthusiasm for whom was in fact Gellius's own. Although Herodes' pre-eminence in Greek oratory is acknowledged, Gellius concentrates on matter rather than matter, recording his defence of grief that a Stoic (not alone) had called immoderate and his contemptuous dismissal of sham philosophers; overall he represents him more favourably than other writers do.
Keywords: Marcus Cornelius Fronto, Herodes Atticus, purism, Claudius Quadrigarius, Stoic, Vergil
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