How should we deal with inconsistencies in ancient literature? Henk Versnel has shown that modern scholars are eager to ‘solve’ such inconsistencies and to ‘save’ the author from embarassing... Show moreHow should we deal with inconsistencies in ancient literature? Henk Versnel has shown that modern scholars are eager to ‘solve’ such inconsistencies and to ‘save’ the author from embarassing contradictions. Versnel himself has argued that we should adopt a tolerant attitude towards the coexistence of contradictory statements. This chapter examines how ancient scholars dealt with inconsistencies in literature. It argues that several ancient philosophers and critics anticipated Versnel in adopting a tolerant attitude towards contradictions in literature. The most striking parallels are found in the Homeric scholia, which draw on the views of the Alexandrian scholar Aristarchus, and Aristotle’s Poetics. Show less
