Exemplary Lives
Many religious and philosophical traditions in the ancient Mediterranean world used
“biographies” to portray and promote their notions of a good life—Judaism and Christianity among them. In this course we will examine examples of these “biographies,” noting similarities and differences with regard to the ideals they emphasize and the strategies their authors use. We will read, for example, “lives” of Moses written by a Greek-speaking Jewish philosopher in Alexandria (Philo) and a Christian bishop in Asia Minor (Gregory of Nyssa)—both of whom use Greek moral vocabulary to praise Moses and make him a model of the good life. Other authors and subjects include Plato, Xenophon, Tacitus, Plutarch, Diogenes Laertius, Eusebius of Caesarea, Jesus, Paul, Yohanan ben Zakkai, martyrs, philosophers, politicians, and holy men and women from across the Mediterranean world. 3 hrs. sem.