The Art of Memory in the Imagines of Philostratus the Elder: arguments and assumptions

Abstract

The Imagines of Philostratus the Elder is a well-known monument of the Second Sophistic. The book has a rich manuscript and publishing history. No less significant is the research tradition that has developed around the Imagines. Our goal is to try to answer the following question: Can the Imagines be considered as a source for the art of memory? In this regard, we intend to solve two problems at once: first, to find elements of the art of memory in the text of the book, and second, to determine the degree of probability with which the Imagines can be considered as a textbook on the art of memory.