Alciphron

Alciphron, Greek rhetorician, was probably a contemporary of Lucian (2nd century A.D.). He was the author of a collection of fictitious letters, of which 124 (118 complete and 6 fragments) have been published; they are written in the purest Attic dialect and are considered models of style. The scene is throughout at Athens; the imaginary writers are country people, fishermen, parasites and courtesans, who express their sentiments and opinions on familiar subjects in elegant language. The "courtesan" letters are especially valuable, the information contained in them being chiefly derived from the writers of the New Comedy, especially Menander.

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EDITIONS.Editio princeps (44 letters), 1499; Bergler (i7i_5); Seiler (1856); Hercher (1873); Schepers (1905). English translation by Monro and Beloe (1791).

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Greek: The noun Greek refers to:...

Rhetoric: Rhetoric (from Greek ?????, rh?t?r, "orator") is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar) in Western culture. In ancient and medieval times, both rhetoric and dialectic were understood to aim at being persuasive. The concept of rhetoric has shi...

Lucian: Lucian of Samosata (Greek, Λουκιανὸς Σαμοσατεύς, Latin, Lucianus; c. AD 120 - after 180) was a rhetorician and satirist, writing in the Greek language, noted for his witty and scoffing nature....