The Second Sophisticin Anotolia: Public activities of sophists,rhetors and philosophers

Philostratus describes the Second Sophistic period as a revival of Ancient Greek civilization in Asia Minor under the Roman Empire. Sophists, rhetors and philosophers made a great contribution both to the municipal finance and economics through the archai which required disbursement from the own wealth for the public expenditures and and to the social life in the poleis through the schools they managed. This dissertation contributes significantly to the better understanding of the social and political impact of the sophists, rhetors and philosophers investigating their official duties, benefactions and genealogical ties in the light of the epigraphic and numismatic evidence and the literary sources. The main literary source on the Second Sophistic Period is Philostratos' work Bioi Sophiston (Βίοι Σοφιστῶν). For the better comprehension of the spirit of the period which is called "The Second Sophistic", while it emerged from the yearning for the Ancient Greek World of the third and fourth centuries B.C., this dissertation compares the prominent individuals of both periods and reveals the similarities and differences between them. The outstanding figures active in education, social and political life of this period are classified according to their social strata. The differences between their vocational activities are also determined. The epigraphic and numismatic evidence and the literary sources on the sophists, rhetors and philosophers of Anatolian origin between the first and third centuries A.D. shows that they were mostly the members of elite families. Most of them had also the Roman citizenship and close relations with the Roman authorities. Because of their wealth, reputation and close relations with Rome, the cities expected from them to get involved in the public services and finances. The inscriptions and the literary sources reveal also that they took some responsibilities for the sake of their communities and also served as an administrator for the poleis. Consequently the sophist, rhetors and philosophers being members of the most prominent and the wealthiest families had so excellent education that they undertook so many public services with a remarkable success and distinguished themselves through excellent benefactions. Keywords: Second Sophistic, Sophist, Rhetor, Philosopher, Municipal and Provincial Magistracies.