Marc Domingo Gygax,
Associate Professor,
Princeton University
Contact: Phone: 609-258-1084
Email: mdomingo@princeton.edu
Office: 163 East Pyne
Current Courses: CLA219 The Roman Empire (Precepting)
FRS103 Truth and Objectivity in Ancient and Modern Historiography
Background: Lic. Barcelona ’88, M.A. Tübingen ’90, Ph.D. Barcelona ’93.
Professor Domingo Gygax has taught and written mainly in the areas of Hellenistic history, Greek epigraphy, modern historiography and historical theory. He is the author of Untersuchungen zu den lykischen Gemeinwesen in klassischer und hellenistischer Zeit (2001), and currently he is working on a study of the origins and evolution of Greek euergetism.
Work abstract: "A passage of Plutarch’s biography of Alcibiades (Alc. 33.2) invites us to explore the way Athens rewarded its benefactors in the fifth and fourth century, especially the first awards of crowns to citizens. This article challenges the widespread assumption that Alcibiades’ crowning with gold when he came back to Athens from his exile is an invention by Plutarch or a previous source. First, there is evidence that the crowning was known to other ancient authors. Furthermore, if one takes into consideration not only inscriptions, but also literary sources, Plutarch’s report is not an isolated piece of information. It fits well in the history of the Athenian practice of bestowing honors. It has precedents in Athens, continuity after Alcibiades, parallels in other cities, and corresponds to the behavior one would expect from the dêmos as well as from a benefactor at the end of the fifth century. When viewed in this light, Plutarch’s information may help us to understand the first stages of the institution of honoring fellow citizens, which was to become so important in later times." - Plutarch on Alcibiades’ return to Athens, Springerlink.
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