Themistius, Julian, and Greek Political Theory under Rome

Simon Swain is Professor of Classics and Chair of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Warwick. He is the author of a number of well-known studies of the Greek literature of the Roman period, including most recently Economy, Family, and Society from Rome to Islam (Cambridge, 2013).

• Introduction; Part I. Studies: 1. The political letter: Sopater, Letter to Himerius; 2. Themistius, Letter to Julian; Appendix to Chapter 2. The Letter to Julian – Greek into Arabic; 3. Themistius, Julian, and Julian's Letter to Themistius; 4. Letter of Aristotle to Alexander; Epilogue; Appendix to Part I. Letter of Aristotle to Alexander; Part II. Texts and Translations: 5. Sopater, Letter to Himerius; 6. Themistius, Letter to Julian; 7. Julian, Letter to Themistius; 8. Letter of Aristotle to Alexander.

'Swain's book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of political theory and rhetoric in the High Empire and allows classicists access to texts previously out of the mainstream of research.' Patrick Paul Hogan, Bryn Mawr Classical Review