This book is a study of the fourth-century sophist Libanius, a major
intellectual figure who ran one of the most prestigious schools of
rhetoric in the later Roman Empire. He was a tenacious adherent of pagan
religion and a friend of the emperor Julian, but also taught leaders of
the early Christian church like St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the
Great. Raffaella Cribiore examines Libanius's training and personality,
showing him to be a vibrant educator, though somewhat gloomy and anxious
by nature. She traces how he cultivated a wide network of friends and
former pupils and courted powerful officials to recruit top students.
Cribiore describes his school in Antioch--how students applied, how they
were evaluated and trained, and how Libanius reported progress to their
families. She details the professional opportunities that a thorough
training in rhetoric opened up for young men of the day. Also included
here are translations of 200 of Libanius's most important letters on
education, almost none of which have appeared in English before.
Cribiore casts into striking relief the importance of rhetoric in late
antiquity and its influence not only on pagan intellectuals but also on
prominent Christian figures. She gives a balanced view of Libanius and
his circle against the far-flung panorama of the Greek East.
