I'm looking for examples of Hellenistic stories that are set in the past, but are really about the present or the future. A non-Hellenistic story that is an example would be The Aeneid. The Aeneid, of course is really all about explaining recent history and tying Roman civilization to the heroes of Troy.
What are some similar Hellenistic era Greek works?
Hellenistic stories set in past that are about the future
- Leucius Charinus
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Re: Hellenistic stories set in past that are about the future
There are varying views on defining it. Around the end of the 1st century BCE, the 1st century CE or the 2nd century. Whatever, but more important I'm looking for Greek works, not Roman.
- Leucius Charinus
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- Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 4:23 pm
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Re: Hellenistic stories set in past that are about the future
Hellenism did not collapse in the 2nd or 3rd century. The upper bound of Hellenism coincides with the Christianisation of the empire in the 4th. If you accept this, and that many of the Nag Hammadi texts are Coptic translations of Greek originals then some of the NHL texts may qualify.
For example what about the opening statement of (NHC 7.3) The Apocalypse of Peter as translated by James Brashler and Roger A. Bullard.
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/apopet.html
How are we to interpret this?
Was the Savior sitting in the temple sometime between 330-336 CE? The Covenant is associated with the last supper and is explicitly mentioned at Mark 14:22–24, Matthew 26:26–28, 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 and Luke 22:19–20. Historians estimate that the date of the last supper and the crucifixion fell in the range 30–36 CE. This implies that a date 300 years later would fall in a range 330-336 CE – during the rule of Constantine.
Otherwise how do we explain "As the Savior was sitting in the temple in the three hundredth (year) of the covenant"? Is this a story set in the past but about the present?
For example what about the opening statement of (NHC 7.3) The Apocalypse of Peter as translated by James Brashler and Roger A. Bullard.
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/apopet.html
As the Savior was sitting in the temple
in the three hundredth (year) of the covenant ...
in the three hundredth (year) of the covenant ...
How are we to interpret this?
Was the Savior sitting in the temple sometime between 330-336 CE? The Covenant is associated with the last supper and is explicitly mentioned at Mark 14:22–24, Matthew 26:26–28, 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 and Luke 22:19–20. Historians estimate that the date of the last supper and the crucifixion fell in the range 30–36 CE. This implies that a date 300 years later would fall in a range 330-336 CE – during the rule of Constantine.
Otherwise how do we explain "As the Savior was sitting in the temple in the three hundredth (year) of the covenant"? Is this a story set in the past but about the present?