Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Neste artigo, pretendemos explorar a análise de Aristóteles sobre a amizade, examinando os três objetos de amizade - a virtude, a utilidade e o prazer. Explicaremos também por que razão estes três objetos da amizade colocam um desafio à definição da amizade como uma entidade comum e singular, a saber, como uma benevolência recíproca e consciente dotada de efeitos práticos. Mostra-se que os objetos da amizade são parte integrante do tipo de relação pessoal que a amizade constitui, tornando impossível uma definição comum.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this paper, we aim to explore Aristotle’s analysis of friendship by examining its three objects of friendship - virtue, utility, and pleasure. We will also explain why these three objects of friendship pose a challenge to defining friendship as a common and singular entity, namely, as a reciprocal and conscious benevolence that has practical effects. It is shown that the objects of friendship are part and parcel of the kind of personal relationship friendship is, making it impossible to provide a common definition.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo é o de mostrar a importância dramática da tese platônica sobre o cômico no interior da própria economia dos diálogos. A hipótese condutora será a de que a concepção que Platão desenvolve sobre o cômico ou ridículo, especialmente no Filebo, confunde-se com a própria caracterização da personagem Sócrates e com o seu modo de filosofar. Por conseguinte, o que se pretende demonstrar é que a figura de Sócrates, que, enquanto personagem de Platão, é a encarnação do paradigma de vida filosófica por excelência, torna manifesto pela sua própria dramatização nos diálogos a natureza mesma do cômico segundo a conceituação platônica.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to show the dramatic importance of the Platonic thesis on the comical within the very economy of the dialogues. The guiding hypothesis will be that the conception that Plato develops about the comical or ridiculous, especially in the Philebus, mixes with the characterization of Socrates and with his way of philosophizing. Therefore, what we intend to demonstrate is that the figure of Socrates, who, as a character of Plato, is the incarnation of the paradigm of philosophical life par excellence, manifests by his own dramatization in the dialogues the very nature of the comical according to the Platonic conceptualization.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Podem se explicar as mudanças na atitude de ‘Sócrates’ perante ‘Protágoras’, no Teeteto? O filósofo parece louvá-lo só para depois o censurar, embora sempre mostre respeitá-lo. Pode tal comportamento ser justificado pela ironia? Que relação liga o sofista às “doutrinas secretas”, atribuídas a discípulos seus? Por que razão ‘Sócrates’ o critica, depois o defende, como se fosse ele o próprio sofista, para acabar por acusar a “Verdade” do outro de se autorrefutar? Este texto tenta responder a estas e outras perguntas, com o objetivo de compreender como pode ‘Sócrates’ afastar ‘Protágoras’ sem nunca o refutar.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Is there an explanation for ‘Socrates’’ wavering attitude towards Protagoras, in the Theaetetus? It seems he praises him only to chide him, though always showing some measure of respect. Can such behaviour be justified by irony? What connection ties the sophist to his disciples’ “secret doctrines”? How can ‘Socrates’ attack the sophist with unfair criticisms, then defend his project as if he were the man himself, and finish accusing Protagoras’ “Truth” of being true to no one? This paper discusses these questions aiming to understand how can ‘Socrates’ sidestep ‘Protagoras’ without refuting him.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Descriptions of Ancient Persian male homoeroticism come mainly from Classical sources, which, however, seem to present divergent testimonies regarding this practice. Some authors apparently provide proof for its widespread acceptance, whereas others, particularly later authors, emphasized its prohibition. Considering the many difficulties involved in the reconstruction of Persian history through the eyes of classical Greeks and Romans, this article aims to provide a brief overview of the subject, with some clues to the question of the origin, form, and tolerance of same-sex love in Achaemenid Persia. We agree that homoerotic practices were attested and likely accepted at some level in Achaemenid Persia. However, we believe that the evidence available to us is not enough to obtain a full understanding of this phenomenon. It is also stressed that not every Greek or Roman reference to Persian male homoeroticism should be taken at face value, as some are distorted and fictitious or lack firsthand knowledge. Finally, we briefly address the image of eunuchs as sexual partners of Achaemenid kings.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: A partir do horizonte de uma pesquisa mais ampla acerca do que há de próprio ao discurso filosófico, pretende-se demonstrar, neste trabalho, a necessária condição performática da filosofia em sua origem. Toma-se aqui o conceito de ‘performance’ para estabelecer uma aproximação entre a poética dos aedos gregos, estudada na primeira parte, e a matriz da investigação filosófica, iniciada por J. L. Austin, sobre os enunciados performáticos, entendidos como decisivos para a compreensão das situações de fala, e sobretudo dos enunciados declarativos que neles se comunicam. Desde o enfoque dessa aproximação, o Diálogo de Platão assume, pela dramatização da fala originária de Sócrates, ao mesmo tempo a indicação da necessária preocupação filosófica com situações de fala (apropriada a toda verdadeira reflexão sobre o que enunciados efetivamente dizem) e a condição de que a reflexão filosófica, ela mesma, acontece em razão da poética do ato de dizer a verdade entendida como efeito purgativo do exame de si. Em outras palavras, o discurso filosófico precisa ser concebido, desde o paradigma do Diálogo platônico, enquanto capaz de realizar a performance do exame de si como um trabalho de reflexão sobre atos e seus contextos de fala, cujo interesse ético-político e educativo se faz finalidade última de toda análise.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: As from the perspective of a extensive research about what is specific to the philosophical discourse, we intend to demonstrate, in this paper, the necessary performative condition of philosophy in its origin. The concept of 'performance' is used here to establish an approximation between the poetics of the Greek aedos, studied in the first section, and the matrix of philosophical investigation on performative statements initiated by J. L. Austin, comprehended as decisive for the understanding of speech acts and the declarative statements in them communicated. From the focus of this approach, Plato's Dialogue takes on, through the dramatization of Socrates' original speech, the indication of the necessary philosophical concern with speech situations (appropriate to any true reflection on what utterances actually say) and simultaneously the condition that philosophical reflection itself happens due to the poetics of the act of telling the truth understood as a purgative effect of self-examination. In other words, philosophical discourse needs to be conceived, since the paradigm of Platonic Dialogue, as capable of carrying out the performance of self-examination as a work of reflection on acts and their contexts of speech, whose ethical, political and educational interest is the ultimate purpose of all analysis.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: A libertas era uma questão fundamental na política romana, ligada aos primórdios da República; e Líber era uma divindade que correspondia a esse aspecto sob as mais diversas perspectivas. Líber e libertas, especialmente a política, estavam arraigados à mente romana, e as lideranças políticas achavam interessante estabelecer essa ligação. Entre as décadas de 40 e 30 a.C., vários líderes políticos adotaram divindades como patronos e modelos. No contexto da guerra civil, a disputa pelo poder era apresentada na poesia como um confronto entre modelos divinos. Este artigo investiga o papel de Baco como modelo divino para líderes políticos em Horácio, tendo em vista suas associações com Augusto e Marco Antônio/Cleópatra. Meu objetivo é demonstrar como Horácio, aproveitando-se do caráter paradoxal do deus, contribui para a assimilação de Líber ao repertório augustano em um momento de profundas transformações políticas em Roma.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Libertas was an essential issue in Roman politics, connected to the beginnings of the Republic; and Liber was a divinity that corresponded to this aspect from different perspectives. Liber and libertas, especially in politics, were deeply rooted in the Roman mind, and political leaders found it interesting to establish this connection. Between the forties and the thirties BC, several political leaders adopted divinities as patrons and models. In the context of civil war, the struggle for power was presented in poetry as a confrontation between divine models. This article investigates the role of Bacchus as a divine model for political leaders in Horace, focusing on his associations with Augustus and Mark Antony/Cleopatra. My aim is to show how Horace, taking advantage of the god’s paradoxical character, contributes to the assimilation of Liber to the Augustan repertoire in a moment of profound political transformations in Rome.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: O terceiro argumento a favor da imortalidade da alma no Fédon, que a tradição exegética também costuma chamar de “argumento da afinidade” (77e-80d), apresenta uma curiosa relação entre corpo e alma que, por vezes, é vista por intérpretes como uma dicotoma radical. Para discutir esse trecho do Fédon na tentativa de ultrapassar esse suposta dicotomia que se imputa a Platão neste diálogo, propõe-se neste artigo uma análise minuciosa do argumento em duas etapas: (i) a analogia entre a alma e as Ideias (78b-79c), (ii) e a analogia entre a alma e o divino (80a-c). Devido às controvérsias que este argumento tem gerado e na confiança de que esse debate está longe de atingir o seu termo, este artigo tem como objetivo responder a três perguntas: como entender o argumento da afinidade na economia do Fédon como um todo? Como compreender a relação entre corpo e alma nesse argumento? Por fim, a letra do texto platônico permite, de fato, inferir uma dicotomia radical entre alma e corpo?

Abstract in English:

Abstract: The third argument in favor of the immortality of the soul in the Phaedo, which the exegetical tradition also calls the “affinity argument” (77e-80d), presents a curious relationship between body and soul, which is often seen by commentators as a radical dichotomy. To discuss this passage of the Phaedo in the attempt to surpass this alleged dichotomy sometimes imputed to Plato in this dialogue, we propose, in this article, a close analysis of the argument in two steps: (i) the analogy between the soul and the Forms (78b-79c), (ii) and the analogy between the soul and the divine (80a-c). Because this argument has been generating controversy and trusting that this debate is far from reaching its term, the objective of this article is to answer three questions: how are we to understand the affinity argument in the economy of the Phaedo? How are we to understand the relationship between body and soul in this argument? Finally, does the platonic text allows us to infer a radical dichotomy between these two elements?

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Xenofonte foi um dos autores clássicos mais desconsiderados do último século. O descrédito que marcou seus escritos socráticos é uma consequência das conclusões a que chegaram, no começo do século XX, alguns historiadores que buscavam uma solução à Questão socrática. Segundo alguns comentadores, desde as origens dessa Questão, o testemunho de Xenofonte foi submetido a críticas impiedosas: 1) Xenofonte não era um filósofo, mas, sim, um militar e político e 2) Xenofonte se empenhava em defender seu mestre da acusação de ser subversivo, representando a ordem estabelecida e os valores tradicionais. Em harmonia com tais comentadores (L.-A. Dorion, L. Brisson e L. Rossetti), pensamos que Xenofonte é um filósofo cuja obra tem qualidades que lhe são intrínsecas. Entretanto, pensamos também que, se, por um lado, hoje a reabilitação dos escritos socráticos de Xenofonte está bastante avançada, por outro lado, não devemos silenciar toda e qualquer problematização do conteúdo de sua filosofia, pois tal tentativa seria tão nociva quanto aquela de silenciar o filósofo. Partindo dessa consideração, o intento deste artigo é mostrar que - embora Xenofonte, no Econômico, estabeleça pela boca de Iscômaco qual é o lugar de atuação (χώρα) e quais são as tarefas ou funções (ἔργα) das mulheres no âmbito da cidade, alegando que elas devem se ater ao interior da casa e exercer as tarefas ou funções que lhes são próprias por natureza (φύσει), o que os costumes (νόμοι) confirmam -- o argumento da natureza (φύσις) tem nesta obra o papel retórico de justificar os costumes (νόμοι), protegendo-os de investidas críticas.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Xenophon was one of the most disregard classical authors of the last century. The discredit that marked his Socratic writings is a consequence of the conclusions reached, at the beginning of the 20th century, by some historians who were looking for a solution to the Socratic Question. According to some commentators, since the origins of this Question, Xenophon’s testimony was subjected to merciless criticism: 1) Xenophon was not a philosopher, but rather a military and politician and 2) Xenophon was committed to defending his master from the accusation of being subversive, representing the established order and traditional values. In harmony with such commentators (L.-A. Dorion, L. Brisson e L. Rossetti), we think that Xenophon is a philosopher whose work has qualities that are intrinsic to it. However, we also think that, if, on the one hand, today the rehabilitation of Xenophon’s Socratic writings is quite advanced, on the other hand, we should not silence any and all problematizations of the content of his philosophy, because such an attempt would be as harmful as that of silencing the philosopher. Based on this consideration, the intention of this paper is to show that - although Xenophon, in the Economics, establishes through the mouth of Ischomachus what is the place of action (χώρα) and what are the tasks or functions (ἔργα) of women within the city, claiming that they must stick to the interior of the house and perform the tasks or functions that inherent to them by nature (φύσει), which customs (νόμοι) confirm - the argument from nature (φύσις) has in this work the rhetorical role of justifying customs (νόμοι), protecting them from critical attacks.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Texto apresentado como palestra de abertura do evento “Gli studi di storia della filosofia antica di Giovanni Casertano”, organizado no dia 23 de outubro de 2024 pela Società Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti de Nápoles (Itália) e pelo Departamento de Filosofia da Università degli Studi di Napoli - Federico II. Um agradecimento especial às colegas e amigas Anna Motta e Lidia Palumbo pelo generoso convite.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Paper presented as the opening lecture at the event ‘GLI STUDI DI STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA ANTICA DI GIOVANNI CASERTANO’, held on 23 October 2024 by theSocietà Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Artiof Naples (Italy) and the Philosophy Department of the Università degli Studi di Napoli - Federico II. Special thanks to my colleagues and friends Anna Motta and Lidia Palumbo for their generous invitation.

Abstract in Spanish:

Resumen: En esta nota se pretende rescatar una alusión recreada a partir del De providentia de Séneca velada en el Octavius de Minucio Félix, quien recupera y modifica algunas ideas del texto senecano en unas breves líneas que han pasado prácticamente inadvertidas hasta ahora; de certificarse la alusión, una variante más reciente del escrito de Séneca cobraría pleno sentido argumental.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this note an allusion recreated from Seneca’s De providentia is rescued as it was hidden in the Octavius of Minucius Felix, who recovers and adapts some topics from the Senecan text in a few brief lines which have been hitherto practically unnoticed; if the allusion is verified, a more recent reading of Seneca’s writing would make full argumentative sense.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: It is a commonplace in our histories of Greek philosophy that the first thinker to fashion deductive arguments was Parmenides of Elea. One corollary of this view is that Ionian philosophers before Parmenides provided no arguments in support of their views. In what follows I offer a critique of this dismissive characterization, focusing on the first thinker for whom we have a substantial body of evidence, Xenophanes of Colophon. Specifically, Xenophanes argued that retelling the old stories of divine strife and warfare was out of keeping with the qualities of cleanliness and purity considered essential to a proper symposium. He held also that the presence of fossilized remains at inland and mountainous locations was best explained by positing cycles of worldwide flooding and drought, and he linked many other phenomena with the presence of earth and/or water. He also distinguished between having direct perceptual access to events and knowing the clear and sure truth about them, and concluded that about far-off matters such as the gods and the nature of all things no man can know the certain truth. He held also that a series of contrasts between divine and human attributes followed from an initial assumption of divine greatness.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Perhaps the most obvious and, for us, the most surprising stylistic feature of Xenophanes’ surviving fragments is the fact that they were written in verse. Whilst this general feature has received much comment and explanation, a more fine-grained analysis of his use of metre has been somewhat lacking. There are at least two factors which have contributed to this lack: first, the primarily philosophical focus of most modern scholarship on Xenophanes, which has been more interested in content than form; and second, the dominance of New Historicism in archaic Greek literary scholarship of recent decades, which, with its emphasis on the ideological force and social role of early Greek hexameter and elegy, has also tended to eschew an analysis of precise formal features. When we do find detailed discussion of metre, it tends to be in the service of uncovering the composition-processes of poets, rather than elucidating the effects they aimed to generate. Consequently, the present contribution aims to fill a gap in Xenophanean scholarship by enriching our appreciation of his sometimes-maligned metrical artistry (M. L. West described him and Euenus as “the clumsiest versifiers” out of the elegists and iambicists). It thus joins two trends in recent Greek literary scholarship: the renewed attempt to appreciate archaic texts as literature - rather than merely as documents for social history or historical anthropology; and the exploration of the significance of non-semantic formal features, which can convey as much ideological content as the claims, narratives and imagery of the text.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this article, I shed new light on a misunderstood aspect of Heraclitus’ style. The opposites employed by Heraclitus are often of equal status except that one member of each pair may also appear as a designation for the encompassing whole. I begin by discussing two interpretations of this phenomenon, which were put forward by Roman Dilcher and Alexander Mourelatos. The phenomenon is, I suggest, better understood as being an example of what is known as markedness neutralisation. I argue that this phenomenon should be interpreted as further undermining what Mourelatos identified as a naïve paratactic metaphysics of mere things (NMT), to which Heraclitus was reacting by beginning to develop a hypotactic metaphysics of hierarchies and dependencies as part of a view of the world as being logos-textured. Further, I consider a series of three problems that were put forward by Dilcher, which he thinks must be addressed by anyone who claims that Heraclitus held a unity of opposites thesis. I also consider some related issues, and provide some responses.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Starting from the identification and characterization of three literary forms that coexist throughout Parmenides’ Poem, all of them plainly different from each other, it is proposed and demonstrated that such a variety of forms mirrors the delimitation of the different ways of thought and language elaborated by Parmenidic philosophy, in which at least two types of nature of knowledge must be recognized: the logical and the cosmological. The first, marked by a formally logical-argumentative speech which is given the name of truth (aletheia) and whose way of thinking is exclusively noetic; the second, of a theoretical-descriptive nature, dedicated to the consideration of the movement proper to cosmic phenomena, whose devenir demands an equally mobile way of thinking (phronein).

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In ancient times, authors such as Plutarch and Proclus questioned Parmenides’ abilities as a poet considering his Poem to be ‘prose in disguise’. Harsh judgments concerning Parmenides’ style are pervasive even in modern scholarship (Diels, 1897; Wilamowitz, 1912; Tarán, 1977; Kirk & Raven, 1977). This paper focuses on specific metrical and rhythmic devices used consistently in the composition of the Poem, that I will refer to, collectively, as ‘poetic dislocation’. This term encompasses the blurring and cancellation of the central caesura, the tendency to break Hermann’s bridge with varying degrees of intensity, the accumulation of enjambment in groups of verses, the use of non-traditional lexicon of the epic genre and the placement of Homeric lexicon in non-Homeric hexameter collocations. My attempt is to prove that these procedures are an integral part of Parmenides’ poetic style. I will also present an analysis of Parmenides’ versification focusing on the rhythmic patterns and the organization of caesura, especially in fr. B8.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This paper explores the prosaic deductive style developed by Melissus and Zeno. It first emphasizes the authors’ use of a systematic and reduced vocabulary solely dedicated to a priori deduction. In a second time, the paper delves into the systematic role of reductio ad absurdum in their reasoning and distinguishes several kinds of reductio employed by the authors. Through this analysis, the study shows how Melissus and Zeno not only developed and systematized certain aspects of Parmenides’ style but also introduced original features that significantly influenced the philosophical writing style.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: Since antiquity, Empedocles has been considered as an example of both successful and unsuccessful communication. Aristotle credits him with vividness of images, but blames him for failure of clarity, and eventually compares his obscureness to that of oracles. Therefore, scholars in the past came to the conclusion that Empedocles deliberately employs an opaque style, like Heraclitus and his “studied ambiguity”, as means for initiation. This paper challenges this assumption and asks whether and how ambiguity can work within a didactic poem. By showing how Empedocles’ and Heraclitus’ communicative strategies differ from one another, I shall point to the poet’s role as a charismatic and spiritual guide, displaying at times a Sibyl-like attitude. Being a mediator between two separate dimensions puts Empedocles in an ambiguous position, because he delivers what the Muse and the gods made available for him to share, and so his opaqueness does not come directly from him. Ultimately, this style analysis also says something about who the ideal audience must have been.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: What were the guidelines that the ancient atomists followed when coining new terms to name their principles? To what extent the difficulty of apprehension and understanding of the nature of their principles would justify the use of more than one term for naming the same thing? Some modern scholars tend to reduce the “indivisible” to a mere formal principle, while other scholars insist in considering the “indivisible” as a material principle. Can anyone find in the ancient texts sufficient elements to evaluate these claims without losing sight of the particular horizon of inquiry and conceptual universe of Presocratic philosophy? I intend to map the problem of the names assigned to the principles in the atomists’ thought in order to formulate a few hypotheses concerning some issues that seem to underlie the transmission and the reception of their thought in antiquity.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: No Banquetede Platão, Fedro é considerado o “pai do discurso” e ocupa na sala o primeiro assento à esquerda. Ele introduz o tema do amor e inicia seu discurso com uma série de referências à tradição, incluindo figuras como Hesíodo, Acusilau e Parmênides, para elogiar Eros. Fedro enfatiza o papel do amor na guerra, na política e nas relações amorosas, ressaltando como o amor motiva os humanos a agirem de maneira excepcional. Seu argumento culmina na ideia de que o ápice do amor é a disposição de morrer por aqueles a quem amamos. Ilustra essa perspectiva com exemplos de casais: Alceste e Admeto, Orfeu e Eurídice e Aquiles e Pátroclo, demonstrando como o amor está intrinsecamente ligado à morte e como este sacrifício é recompensado pelos deuses. Esta tradução destaca termos específicos usados em contextos pederásticos como erastes e eromenos, através da transliteração, diferenciando-os de termos mais genéricos para amantes e amados. A introdução aborda brevemente como a compreensão das relações pederásticas e questões relacionadas ao gênero das personagens podem influenciar a interpretação do discurso. Esta tradução convida os leitores a uma análise minuciosa do discurso de Fedro, explorando as complexidades discutidas e suas implicações para o entendimento do amor na obra de Platão.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In Plato's Symposium, Phaedrus is recognized as the "father of discourse" and occupies the first seat on the left. He introduces the theme of love, commencing his discourse with a series of references to tradition, including figures like Hesiod, Acusilaus, and Parmenides, to extol Eros. Phaedrus underscores the role of love in war, politics, and amorous relationships, emphasizing how love motivates humans to act exceptionally. His argument culminates in the notion that the pinnacle of love is the willingness to die for those we love. He illustrates this perspective with examples of couples: Alcestis and Admetus, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Achilles and Patroclus, demonstrating how love is inherently linked to death and how this sacrifice is rewarded by the gods. This translation highlights specific terms used in pederastic contexts, such as erastes and eromenos, through transliteration, distinguishing them from more generic terms for lovers and loved ones. The introduction briefly addresses how the understanding of pederastic relationships and issues related to the gender of the characters can influence the interpretation of the discourse. This translation invites readers to undertake a meticulous analysis of Phaedrus's discourse, exploring the complexities discussed and their implications for the understanding of love in Plato's work.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: O mito das Danaides é registrado com variações em diversos textos poéticos e não poéticos da Antiguidade Clássica. Neste artigo são recolhidos e traduzidos os principais textos que colaboram para construir a recepção do mito em suas tentativas de se construir uma saga para figuras femininas e suas ambivalências.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: The myth of the Danaids is recorded with variations in various poetic and non-poetic texts from Classical Antiquity. This paper collects and translates the main texts that help build the myth's reception in its attempts to construct a saga for female figures and their ambivalences.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Neste artigo, investigamos o impacto da inclusão da categoria gênero, articulada a uma perspectiva decolonial, na análise da cidadania ateniense, especificamente na Atenas clássica democrática. Contrariamente à concepção tradicional que vê a polis como um "clube de homens", muito influenciada por certos estudos sobre Aristóteles acerca de cidadania, a leitura destaca a presença explícita de mulheres cidadãs nas sociedades helênicas antigas. Ao centrar o debate em aspectos vinculados ao contexto antigo e atentar para a projeção de referências modernas, propomos uma reflexão mais ampla sobre as práticas políticas na antiguidade. Estudos contemporâneos têm revelado que a cidadania grega antiga não se baseia exclusivamente na exclusão sistemática das mulheres de todos os contextos. Mulheres cidadãs são mencionadas e representadas em diversas fontes às quais temos acesso. A persistência do estereótipo do "clube de homens" na política antiga é questionada, com destaque para a importância da religião no contexto cívico, onde mulheres desempenham papéis ativos. Indagamos sobre o interesse contemporâneo em perpetuar a visão da polis como um espaço de atuação exclusivamente masculina e como essa percepção afeta a compreensão da participação das mulheres no cenário político. Concluímos destacando a importância de revisitar textos antigos sob uma perspectiva crítica contemporânea, feminista e decolonial, desafiando a ideia de que as mulheres sempre estiveram à margem da política.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this article, we investigate the impact of including the gender category, articulated with a decolonial perspective, in analyzing Athenian citizenship, especially in democratic classical Athens. Contrary to the traditional notion that views the polis as a "men's club," heavily influenced by certain works on Aristotle’s writings on citizenship, recent readings emphasize the explicit presence of women citizens in ancient Hellenic societies. By centering the debate on aspects linked to the ancient context and by paying attention to the projection of modern references, we propose a broader reflection on political practices in antiquity. Contemporary studies have revealed that ancient Greek citizenship was not based on systematically excluding women from all contexts. Free women citizens are mentioned and represented in the remains of ancient Hellenic societies. The persistence of the "men's club" stereotype in ancient politics is questioned, with an emphasis on the importance of religion in the civic context, where women play active roles. We inquire about the contemporary interest in perpetuating the view of the polis as an exclusively male arena and how this perception affects the understanding of women's participation in the political scene. We conclude by highlighting the importance of revisiting ancient texts from a contemporary critical perspective, feminist and decolonial, challenging the idea that women have always been on the sidelines of politics.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: O artigo propõe a análise, em espectro comparativo, de duas cenas da comédia aristofânica Acarnenses, a saber, a entrada de Anfíteo e o discurso dos embaixadores. Por meio da contraposição desses dois momentos da peça, sustento a ideia de que o instrumento de decisão democrática, a assembleia, constitui-se como terreno profícuo para a censura de pautas que privilegiem a aplicação de políticas dirigidas para o bem comum, ao mesmo tempo em que consagra a liberdade da fala dos que apresentam agendas personalistas às custas da miséria do demos. Assim, funcionando como cortina de fumaça para o enriquecimento de líderes políticos, o discurso que apoia o prosseguimento da Guerra do Peloponeso é o único para o qual há liberdade de expressão, enquanto seu contrário, o discurso pacifista, deve ser censurado, até mesmo com o uso da violência.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This paper aims to show a comparative analysis of two scenes of the Aristophanic comedy Acharnians. On the one hand, I discuss the role of Amphitheus character, and on the other hand, I consider the ambassadors’ speech. By opposing these two play’s scenes, I support that democratic decision in assembly is a fertile ground to censure speeches about the good application of policies headed to the common good, and at the same time, it consecrates the freedom of speech of those who have personalist agendas at the expense of demos’ poverty. Thus, the speech in favor of the Peloponnesian War’s maintenance is a smokescreen for the political leaders’ enrichment. And because this is the only one for which exists freedom of expression, whereas its opposite, i.e., the pacifist speech, must be censored, even with violence.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This paper aims to look at the ancient city of Athens and some of its political challenges through the eyes of Plato. I will do this by relating two concepts that permeate Plato's political concerns: democracy and misology. Beyond the tragic event of Socrates' death at democratic hands, there is perhaps something even deeper in Plato's struggle to see democracy as something that can work, so to speak. Plato no doubt has a profoundly pessimistic view of the human being. And the city, who was traditionally supposed to educate men, is not delivering anymore (if ever). First of all, Plato clearly identifies the origin of political and social instability in the economic imbalance between πλοῦτος (richness) and πενία (poverty). Secondly, Plato's diagnosis, what his eyes are seeing, is even more perceptive and accurate. He outlines a second source of problem for democracy, one the probably resonate even more dramatically in our very present days: one that Socrates calls misology in the Phaedo: the hatred of discourses. Apart from the fact that there is a significant distance and a radical difference between the democracy of the 5th and 4th centuries, when Plato actually writes his dialogues, the most relevant question that emerges from the investigation is probably that a democracy itself is not something stable, an ontological object, not even today. And Plato was well aware of all this.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Este artigo é uma tentativa de esclarecer a relação entre a posição dissidente assumida por estoicos antigos em seu contexto social e a maneira corajosa como defenderam suas posições políticas a partir de alguns princípios do sistema estoico, o que levou muitos deles ao exílio e à morte durante o Período Imperial Romano (terceira fase da civilização romana, que se estendeu de 27 AEC a 476 EC). Sugerimos que a marginalização desses grupos, bem como a sua perseguição, posiciona os estoicos de maneira única, tanto em seu próprio tempo como no nosso.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This article is an attempt to clarify the relationship between the dissident position taken by the ancient Stoics in their social context and the courageous way in which they defended their political positions in adherence to their Stoic philosophical principles - positions which led many of them to exile and death during the Imperial Period (the third phase of Roman civilization, which extended from 27 BCE to 476 CE). We suggest that the marginalization of these groups, as well as the persecution of them, uniquely positions the Stoics both in their own time and in ours.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: O presente artigo investiga algumas das principais relações entre a húbris moderna e a antiga, valendo-se tanto de resultados no campo da psicologia e dos estudos corporativos, de um lado, e dos estudos clássicos, de outro. Particular atenção é dada ao tratamento do tema por Aristóteles, em especial na Retórica e na Política, sem descuidar de outras fontes clássicas como Hérodoto e Ésquilo.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This article explores key connections between modern and ancient hybris, drawing insights from psychology and corporate studies as well as classical scholarship. It focuses particularly on Aristotle's discussions of the topic in the Rhetoric and Politics, while also examining other classical sources, including Herodotus and Aeschylus.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Neste artigo, pretendo oferecer algumas razões para se dizer que Aristóteles sustenta a tese de que a εὐδαιμονία não apenas oferece o critério normativo que orienta a instituição e a reforma de regimes que estão aquém do melhor regime, como também é aquilo que é visado pela instituição e pela reforma destes regimes, pois o melhor regime não é, para Aristóteles, senão o regime no qual a εὐδαιμονία pode ser alcançada em máximo grau (cf. Pol. VII.13 1332a4-7).

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this paper, I intend to give some reasons for thinking that Aristotle holds the view that εὐδαιμονία not only provides the normative criterium that regulates the institution and reform of constitutions that fall short of the best one, but is also what is aimed at by the institution and reform of such constitutions, since, for Aristotle, the best constitution is just the constitution in which εὐδαιμονία can be maximally achieved (cf. Pol. VII.13 1332a4-7).

Abstract in English:

Abstract: This paper offers an interpretation of a certain narrative about the political community, which can be found in Pol. III 10, 1286b7-21; IV 10, 1297b16-28; and VI 4, 1321a5-16, in light of what Aristotle tells us about the causes that lead to revolutions, οἰκονομική, the appearance of money, commerce and the social changes they caused. According to this narrative, the monarchical regime prevailed in most political communities at first, whereas later, in Aristotle's time, it was the democratic regime which prevailed. Although the explanations given in these passages differ, it is argued that they are compatible and complementary; that, when taken together, they show us causes that could very well complement each other in order to make revolution strongly possible, if not inevitable; that there is an important part of this process, namely, the rise of oligarchies, that they do not explain satisfactorily; and that we can craft a satisfactory explanation of this part of the process if we make use of what Aristotle tells us about οἰκονομική, the appearance of money, commerce and the social changes they caused in book I of the Politics.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Neste artigo, busco recusar a tese segundo a qual a democracia antiga se define, segundo Aristóteles, pelo governo da maioria em benefício próprio. Defendo a tese alternativa, que incorpora sem dificuldade o que há de verdadeiro na tese rejeitada, segundo a qual é o conceito de eleutheria, tal como compreendido em Política VI.2 e VI.9 especialmente, que tem o que chamo de “proeminência definicional” relativamente ao conceito de demokratia.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this paper, I aim to reject the thesis that ancient democracy, according to Aristotle, is defined by majority rule for its own benefit. I advocate for an alternative thesis, (which easily incorporates what is true in the rejected view), namely, that it is the concept of eleutheria, particularly as understood in Politics VI.2 and VI.9, that holds what I call "definitional prominence" relative to the concept of demokratia.

Abstract in Portuguese:

Resumo: Neste artigo, concentro-me sobre o problema da persuasão na obra de Platão e exponho as suas implicações filosóficas, políticas e educacionais. Começo traçando um panorama da persuasão na Grécia Antiga, tanto da atividade persuasiva quanto da figura mítica da deusa Persuasão. Depois, detenho-me sobre alguns casos emblemáticos do fracasso da persuasão socrática. Em seguida, viso reconstruir algumas causas que despontam nos diálogos platônicos para explicar o fracasso da persuasão socrática. Por fim, considero a reivindicação da retórica para a filosofia, defendida e desenvolvida no Fedro, como uma resposta diante do impasse de que a verdade não é autoevidente e, dessa forma, não pode ser transmitida imediata e mecanicamente de uma alma para outra.

Abstract in English:

Abstract: In this paper, I focus on the problem of persuasion in Plato’s work and expound on its philosophical, political, and educational implications. I begin by tracing an overview of persuasion in Ancient Greece, both the persuasive activity and the mythical figure of the goddess Persuasion. Then, I dwell on some emblematic cases of the failure of Socratic persuasion. Next, I aim to reconstruct some causes that emerge in the Platonic dialogues to explain the failure of Socratic persuasion. Finally, I consider the vindication of rhetoric for philosophy, defended and developed in the Phaedrus, as a response to the impasse that truth is not self-evident and, therefore, cannot be transmitted immediately and mechanically from one soul to another.