Letterati, filosofi e artisti greci in Valerio Massimo

The aim of the paper is to investigate the typology of exemplary accounts of Greek men of letters, philosophers and artists in the work of Valerius Maximus and to identify the lines of tradition to which they can be traced. With a few exceptions, the exempla refer to figures ranging from the sixth to the fourth century BC., with philosophers and tragic poets standing out in terms of frequency of mentions. The lines of tradition can be traced largely to biographies of poets and philosophers and the literature on Alexander the Great. Valerius Maximus’ work was addressed both to students of rhetoric and to well-educated Romans seeking confirmation of the founding values of the Roman respublica.