Jonas Schollmeyer, "Anachronism, metalepsis, blending: The strange case of Timotheus of Miletus"

Description: In my habilitation (post doctoral) project, I am working on the so-called literary sphragis (‘seal’), i.e. the phenomenon of authors’ self-thematisation at the end of a work. The Greek term sphragis, which some scholars regard as pseudo-technical, is historically closely related to the Persians of Timotheus of Miletus. My talk will focus on this text, a citharodic nomos. I am particularly interested in the question of how, from a narratological perspective, Timotheus connects his self-mention with the main narrative of the Battle of Salamis. Timotheus, according to the thesis of my talk, confronts his audience with an exceptionally bold narrative metalepsis, i.e. the illogical mixing of two narrative levels; and the question arises as to how his Persians are to be interpreted against the background of the metaleptic layout of the sphragis. 

Biography: My main interests lie in ancient rhetoric, philosophy and literary theory. I am currently a Feodor Lynen Research-Fellow at the University of Oxford, sponsored by the German Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. At the University of Leipzig, I research and lecture at the Chair of Latin Studies. Prior to that, I researched and lectured at the Chair of Greek Studies. I received my PhD from University of Leipzig with a dissertation on Gorgias’ Helen (published by De Gruyter as “Gorgias’ Lobrede auf Helena. Literaturgeschichtliche Untersuchungen und Kommentar”, Berlin/Boston 2020). My current research projects revolve around two different poles: on the one hand, the connection between literary sphragis and narrative metalepsis, and on the other, hiatus in Greek prose literature.

This talk will not be available on zoom and will not be recorded