Characterization in Diodorus Siculus’ Bibliotheke

Abstract

The authorial assessment of individuals in Diodorus Siculus’ Library of History is discussed. Historian’s comments are the principal technique of character portrayal in the work, and most of them are brief and standardized phrases, namely repeated combinations of virtues or (less often) vices. These lists of virtues or vices, including obituaries and comparative assessments of two or three individuals, are compared with eulogies (ἐγκώμια). It is concluded, that, ac­cording to the requirements of the Hellenistic rhetoric, Diodorus Siculus includes his assessments of individuals into the narrative in order to accomplish propor­tionality of composition (συμμετρία), and is guided by considerations of the appro­priateness of such comments in the given context.

Keywords

• diodorus siculus
• greek historians
• character portrayal
• rhetoric
• literary structure