Przekaz historyczny a fikcja literacka w teoretycznych rozważaniach Lukiana z Samosat

Abstract

The subject of the present study is Lucian's opinion about writing history. He shares Tukidides's views: the first and the most important task of a historian is to hand down the true relation about described events to posterity. Lucian criticizes the contemporary historians who prefer to entertain and to delight their readers. The author, disagreeing on this point with them, tries to give the portrait of an ideal historian. The study then goes on to discuss the question, how, in Lucian's opinion, should write about historical events and the individuals not the historian but the rhetor. Lucian says that the author must not write the lies and be very careful, especially in epainos and psogos. Lucian's views contents the essay „Quomodo historia conscribenda sit”. The analysis of this essay is basical for the concluding remarks.