Reflexiones sobre los discursos de Libanio al emperador Teodosio

Abstract

In this paper the following questions concerning Libanius' speeches addressed to Emperor Theodosius are dealt with:
Firstly, the mentioned speeches are reviewed in order to point out in them the social and political background of the age in which they were written, a very interesting age for understanding the process leading from Late Antiquity to Middle Age.
Secondly, the aim of these speeches is compared with that of some letters of Libanius and shown to be the same: he is proud of his profession as a sophist and claims for himself as such the duty of leading public opinion and protecting the life of the community against every, kind of injustice or abuse exerted by governors or members of the upper class upon the commons and the poorest citizens.
Thirdly, the question of the origin of Libanius' attitude is envisaged; why does he feel obliged to intervene on behalf of his fellow countrymen deploying his eloquence in fighting against power's misuse, illegality and brutality exerted by the governors upon the lowest class of the population.
According to the author, the origin of this attitude is to be found in the new conception of a Rhetoric pervaded by ethical principles that can be shown in the Isocratean program of rhetorical paideia.