Philosophical Biography in the Hellenistic Period. KU Leuven
Hellenistic biography has a rather negative reputation in modern historiographical research. It is usually considered mere gossip, sensationalism or even downright fiction. Biographies of philosophers are often said to have been written in order to discredit rival philosophical schools, but this judgment is too one-sided. In fact, the method and literary goals varied considerably from one biographer to another. Like most Hellenistic prose ...