The literary letter was one of the most versatile and popular forms of writing in Greek antiquity, yet one of the least widely studied today. The use of the letter within narrative or as narrative medium is something which the Ancient Greek literary tradition established as central to the western world (especially through the letters of Plato, Hippocrates and the Christian epistolographers). This volume presents detailed literary readings of a wide range of Greek literary letter collections. By comparison of the various narrative strategies taken within Greek epistolary texts across a range of genres, cultural backgrounds, and time periods, the volume takes a significant step towards the appreciation of Greek epistolary collections as a unique literary phenomenon.

The literary letter was one of the most versatile and popular forms of writing in Greek antiquity, yet one of the least widely studied today. The use of the letter within narrative or as narrative medium is something which the Ancient Greek literary tradition established as central to the western world (especially through the letters of Plato, Hippocrates and the Christian epistolographers). This volume presents detailed literary readings of a wide range of Greek literary letter collections. By comparison of the various narrative strategies taken within Greek epistolary texts across a range of genres, cultural backgrounds, and time periods, the volume takes a significant step towards the appreciation of Greek epistolary collections as a unique literary phenomenon.