Objets et monuments (réels et fictifs) dans la relecture du passé opérée par la Seconde sophistique : l’exemple de la Vie d’Apollonios de Tyane de Philostrate

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that the Second Sophistic makes use of Greece’s past as a model. But its use of monuments and objects to reappraise the models of the past and to propose new ones seems less familiar. In Philostratus’ Life of Apollonios of Tyana, the narrator presents a set of Greek and barbarian monuments and objects that invite the reader to reinterpret exemplary figures of the past whether mythological or historical. It thus appears that Greek culture, challenged by the past of other cultures, has lost some prestige but that it co-exists with the former while protecting its own identity. Besides, monuments and objects are often to be interpreted as symbols of resistance.

Keywords

• Apollonios of Tyana
• Philostratus
• past
• Alexander
• India
• Gades