Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity

ISBN-13: 9780520055353 Publisher: University of California Press Publication date: 08/02/1988 Series: Transformation of the Classical Heritage , #11 Edition description: First Edition Pages: 560 Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.70(d) What did it mean to be a professional teacher in the prestigious "liberal schools"—the schools of grammar and rhetoric—in late antiquity? How can we account for the abiding prestige of these schools, which remained substantially unchanged in their methods and standing despite the political and religious changes that had taken place around them?The grammarian was a pivotal figure in the lives of the educated upper classes of late antiquity. Introducing his students to correct language and to the literature esteemed by long tradition, he began the education that confirmed his students' standing in a narrowly defined elite. His profession thus contributed to the social as well as cultural continuity of the Empire. The grammarian received honor—and c