Preface
The following monograph is part of a larger project—a full edition of Longinus designed in two parts: one for students of English and other literatures who know little or no Greek; the other for scholars.
The dating of Longinus has been a vexed problem for almost two cen turies now. Although present critical opinion has largely settled on the first century A.D., with the notable exception of G.M.A. Grube, the matter is by no means settled. Hence, we thought a full review of the problem and the various kinds of arguments would be useful. As a result of our survey, we found that we were able not only to confirm the present date of the first century A.D. but to locate that date with considerable precision. As the reader will see, although much of what we have included here reviews existing material, the major part of the argument—the analysis of the various phases manifested by the topos of cultural decline—is new.
We wish to express our gratitude to the various libraries which have aided our research: Cornell College, The Pennsylvania State Univer sity, Iowa University, York University, and The University of Toronto.
Both this part of the work, and the larger work, take their origin in a seminar in Longinus conducted many years ago by the late Werner Jaeger. We wish also to thank Mrs. Paula Winarchick for typing the manuscript for publication.
