Noted scholars in the field explore the rich variety of late antique literature With contributions from leading scholars in the field, A Companion to Late Antique Literature presents a broad review of late antique literature. The late antique period encompasses a significant transitional era in literary history from the mid-third century to the early seventh century. The Companion covers notable Greek and Latin texts of the period and provides a varied overview of literature written in six other late antique languages. Comprehensive in scope, this important volume presents new research, methodologies, and significant debates in the field. The Companion explores the histories, forms, features, audiences, and uses of the literature of the period. This authoritative text: Provides an inclusive overview of late antique literature Offers the widest survey to date of the literary traditions and forms of the period, including those in several languages other than Greek and Latin    Presents the most current research and new methodologies in the field Contains contributions from an international group of contributors Written for students and scholars of late antiquity, this comprehensive volume provides an authoritative review of the literature from the era.

Table of Contents:
Notes on Contributors ix PART ONE Late Antique Literature by Language and Tradition 1 Introduction 3 Scott McGill and Edward J. Watts 1 Greek 9 Scott Fitzgerald Johnson 2 Latin 27 Ian Wood 3 Syriac 47 John W. Watt 4 Coptic 61 David Brakke 5 Armenian 75 Robin Darling Young 6 Georgian 87 Stephen H. Rapp, Jr. 7 Middle Persian (Pahlavi) 103 Touraj Daryaee 8 Languages of Arabia 123 Kevin T. van Bladel PART TWO Literary Forms 141 9 Classicizing History and Historical Epitomes 143 Michael Kulikowski 10 Ecclesiastical History 161 Peter Van Nuffelen 11 Chronicles 177 R.W. Burgess 12 Epideictic Oratory 193 Alex Petkas 13 Panegyric 209 Roger Rees 14 Epic Poetry 221 Mary Whitby and Michael Roberts 15 Epigrams, Occasional Poetry, and Poetic Games 241 Bret Mulligan 16 Christian Poetry 259 Laura Miguélez‐Cavero and Scott McGill 17 Prosimetra 281 Joel C. Relihan 18 Philosophical Commentary 297 Han Baltussen 19 Biblical Commentary 313 Marie‐Pierre Bussières 20 Christian Theological Literature 327 Josef Lössl 21 Sermons 343 Jaclyn Maxwell 22 Travel and Pilgrimage Literature 359 Jan Willem Drijvers 23 Biography, Autobiography, and Hagiography 373 Sarah Insley and Jeanne‐Nicole Mellon Saint‐Laurent 24 Epistolography 389 Cristiana Sogno and Edward J. Watts 25 Pseudepigraphy 401 Javier Martínez 26 Legal Texts 417 Charles N. Aull 27 Handbooks, Epitomes, and Florilegia 431 Marietta Horster and Christiane Reitz 28 Grammar 451 Alessandro Garcea 29 School Texts 471 Lillian I. Larsen 30 Literature of Knowledge 491 Marco Formisano 31 Inscriptions 505 Raymond Van Dam 32 Translation 523 Daniel King 33 Antiquarian Literature 539 Christopher Kelly PART THREE Reception 555 34 Late Antique Literature in Byzantium 557 Anthony Kaldellis 35 The Arabic Reception of Late Antique Literature 569 Kevin T. van Bladel 36 Late Antique Literature in the Western Middle Ages 583 Joseph Pucci 37 Early Modern Receptions of Late Ancient Literature 597 Diane Shane Fruchtman 38 Edward Gibbon and Late Antique Literature 611 Gavin Kelly 39 Nineteenth‐ and Twentieth‐Century Visions of Late Antique Literature 627 James Uden Index 643