- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus ...
More
This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus also says: “Should I not burn with love of you when you've written this to me?” In his reply, Fronto makes a proposal to go for a walk down by the river Illyssus. Both letters are dated December 139 CE.Less
This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus also says: “Should I not burn with love of you when you've written this to me?” In his reply, Fronto makes a proposal to go for a walk down by the river Illyssus. Both letters are dated December 139 CE.
Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this ...
More
In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this find disappointed many nineteenth-century readers, who had hoped for the letters to convey all of the political drama of Cicero's. That the collection included passionate love letters between Fronto and the future emperor Marcus Aurelius was politely ignored—or concealed. And for almost 200 years these letters have lain hidden in plain sight. This book rescues these letters from obscurity and returns them to the public eye. The story of Marcus and Fronto began in 139 ce, when Fronto was selected to instruct Marcus in rhetoric. Marcus was eighteen then, and by all appearances the pupil and teacher fell in love. Spanning the years in which the relationship flowered and died, these are the only love letters to survive from antiquity—homoerotic or otherwise. The translation reproduces the effusive, slangy style of the young prince and the rhetorical flourishes of his master.Less
In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this find disappointed many nineteenth-century readers, who had hoped for the letters to convey all of the political drama of Cicero's. That the collection included passionate love letters between Fronto and the future emperor Marcus Aurelius was politely ignored—or concealed. And for almost 200 years these letters have lain hidden in plain sight. This book rescues these letters from obscurity and returns them to the public eye. The story of Marcus and Fronto began in 139 ce, when Fronto was selected to instruct Marcus in rhetoric. Marcus was eighteen then, and by all appearances the pupil and teacher fell in love. Spanning the years in which the relationship flowered and died, these are the only love letters to survive from antiquity—homoerotic or otherwise. The translation reproduces the effusive, slangy style of the young prince and the rhetorical flourishes of his master.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius ...
More
In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto and his correspondents, who included the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The events of Marcus's life are known mostly through much later sources, of which the best are the Historia Augusta biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus and a very late condensed version of book 70 of Cassius Dio's history. The letters between Marcus and Fronto from 139 to 145 provide what appears to be direct evidence of a living relationship of some kind. The future emperor, revered as a sort of saint from antiquity onward, is exuberant, slangy, sometimes impudent, and (as he says himself in letter 37) bubbling over with love for Fronto. Were Marcus and Fronto in love? Were they lovers? This book presents only a selection of letters: all the letters from the years 139–48 that testify to the feelings of the correspondents.Less
In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto and his correspondents, who included the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The events of Marcus's life are known mostly through much later sources, of which the best are the Historia Augusta biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus and a very late condensed version of book 70 of Cassius Dio's history. The letters between Marcus and Fronto from 139 to 145 provide what appears to be direct evidence of a living relationship of some kind. The future emperor, revered as a sort of saint from antiquity onward, is exuberant, slangy, sometimes impudent, and (as he says himself in letter 37) bubbling over with love for Fronto. Were Marcus and Fronto in love? Were they lovers? This book presents only a selection of letters: all the letters from the years 139–48 that testify to the feelings of the correspondents.
Leofranc Holford-Strevens
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199263196
- eISBN:
- 9780191718878
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263196.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter considers Gellius's relations with the leading Roman orator of his age, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, and his Greek counterpart Herodes Atticus. Fronto, who appears in five chapters, is ...
More
This chapter considers Gellius's relations with the leading Roman orator of his age, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, and his Greek counterpart Herodes Atticus. Fronto, who appears in five chapters, is represented as rather closer to Gellius in his literary concerns than his preserved writings suggest, in particular more interested in linguistic purism; he is also made to cite Vergil, which the real Fronto never does, and to admire Claudius Quadrigarius, enthusiasm for whom was in fact Gellius's own. Although Herodes' pre-eminence in Greek oratory is acknowledged, Gellius concentrates on matter rather than matter, recording his defence of grief that a Stoic (not alone) had called immoderate and his contemptuous dismissal of sham philosophers; overall he represents him more favourably than other writers do.Less
This chapter considers Gellius's relations with the leading Roman orator of his age, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, and his Greek counterpart Herodes Atticus. Fronto, who appears in five chapters, is represented as rather closer to Gellius in his literary concerns than his preserved writings suggest, in particular more interested in linguistic purism; he is also made to cite Vergil, which the real Fronto never does, and to admire Claudius Quadrigarius, enthusiasm for whom was in fact Gellius's own. Although Herodes' pre-eminence in Greek oratory is acknowledged, Gellius concentrates on matter rather than matter, recording his defence of grief that a Stoic (not alone) had called immoderate and his contemptuous dismissal of sham philosophers; overall he represents him more favourably than other writers do.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This concordance serves two sets. The general reader may wish to find the letters in this collection in C. R. Haines's Loeb translation, where they can be seen in the context of Marcus Cornelius ...
More
This concordance serves two sets. The general reader may wish to find the letters in this collection in C. R. Haines's Loeb translation, where they can be seen in the context of Marcus Cornelius Fronto's letter collection as a whole. Classicists will want to see the original text, but not every library will own all the main editions of Fronto, and unfortunately they all use different numbering systems, while Edward Champlin's biography of Fronto uses yet another. The concordance should enable readers to find at least one version to compare with this one. The Haines Loeb contains the only complete translation of all the Fronto letters into English. The book/item numbers follow the convention of the ancient edition as transmitted in the manuscripts, in that the collection is divided up into “books” with separate titles, with each item in the book numbered consecutively.Less
This concordance serves two sets. The general reader may wish to find the letters in this collection in C. R. Haines's Loeb translation, where they can be seen in the context of Marcus Cornelius Fronto's letter collection as a whole. Classicists will want to see the original text, but not every library will own all the main editions of Fronto, and unfortunately they all use different numbering systems, while Edward Champlin's biography of Fronto uses yet another. The concordance should enable readers to find at least one version to compare with this one. The Haines Loeb contains the only complete translation of all the Fronto letters into English. The book/item numbers follow the convention of the ancient edition as transmitted in the manuscripts, in that the collection is divided up into “books” with separate titles, with each item in the book numbered consecutively.
