Brill’s New Pauly

Get access
Search Results: | 20 of 21 |

Biography
(3,557 words)

I. Greek

[German version]

A. Definition and prehistory

Biography as a literary genre is the account of the life events of an individual human being; it gives voice to the tendency to respect lifetime achievements and personal individuality as a meaningful unity. Biography has existed in this mould in Greek literature since Hellenism; the term for that is bíos (βίος; βιογραφία, biographía is first used in Damascius, Vita Isidori = Phot. Bibl. Cod. 242, § 8, as nomen actionis: ‘biographical wr…

Cite this page
Görgemanns, Herwig (Heidelberg) and Berschin, Walter (Heidelberg), “Biography”, in: Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e217550>
First published online: 2006
First print edition: 9789004122598, 20110510



▲   Back to top   ▲