In Philo of Alexandria and Greek Myth: Narratives, Allegories, and Arguments, a fresh and more complete image of Philo of Alexandria as a careful reader, interpreter, and critic of Greek literature is offered. Greek mythology plays a significant role in Philo of Alexandriaâs exegetical oeuvre. Philo explicitly adopts or subtly evokes narratives, episodes and figures from Greek mythology as symbols whose didactic function we need to unravel, exactly as the hidden teaching of Mosesâ narration has to be revealed by interpreters of Bible. By analyzing specific mythologems and narrative cycles, the contributions to this volume pave the way to a better understanding of Philoâs different attitudes towards literary and philosophical mythology.
Francesca Alesse is Senior researcher at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy). She has published monographies on Aristotelian and Stoic ethics, and on Socratic tradition. She has edited a collective volume on Philo of Alexandria and Hellenistic philosophy (Brill 2008).
Ludovica De Luca, PhD 2017, carries out her research activity at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre and Università degli Studi dellâAquila. She has published articles on Philonic philosophical exegesis and prepared a monograph on Philoâs De Opificio Mundi.
Preface
âFrancesca Alesse
Part 1: Philo of Alexandria and Myth-Telling
1 Philoâs Refashioning of Greek Myth
âErich S. Gruen
2 Philoâs Reception of Greek Mythology
âGeert Roskam
All interested in the reception of Greek mythological literature into Hellenistic age and, more specifically, Hellenistic Judaism, and to all concerned with the topic of allegorization of Biblical narratives.