Najważniejsze funkcje i gatunkowe wyznaczniki anegdoty w biografii antycznej (The most important functions and genre indicators of anectode in ancient biography)

Abstract

The ancient biographical literature is full of anecdotes. Though anecdote as literary form was readily applied in antiquity, it was not distinguished and didn’t have its own name. The term ‘anecdote’ appeared in the 17th century but it hasn’t been described insightfully so far. We have a few modern definitions but they are unsatisfactory. In the beginning of this article author presents shortly the origin of the term ‘anecdote’, showing similarities and differences between Procopios’ Secret History (<Ane/kdota) and earlier biographical anecdotes. The next step is rejection of modern definition of anecdote by Arnaldo Momigliano
as too narrow and normative. Author focuses on description of anecdote and shows its fundamental functions examining ancient biographies. He claims that anecdotes can argue, characterize, explain, entertain and supplement.
Can be also a digression. In that point it is possible to do a preliminary distinction of the anecdote as literary form and to show its characteristic features: irremovability, similarity (and differences) to diegema (dih/ghma) and chreia (xrei/a), and credibility. In conclusion there is a short survey of ancient biographies from a point of view of presence of anecdote, an attempt of definition of anecdote included as well.