Texts

ANCIENT AND SERBIAN HEROES IN SERBIAN HISTORY TEXTBOOKS IN THE 19th CENTURY

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History textbooks in the Serbian language used in Serbian schools during the
19th century had a specific form, appearance and purpose. The form and appearance of the
textbook was different from today’s textbooks, but we could see from the title, content or
introduction of the textbook that it was used in the teaching process. Their content was also
different from modern textbooks and the teaching units were adapted to the political situation
in which the Serbian people found themselves then. Ancient and Serbian heroes had an
important place in the teaching units of these textbooks, and in this paper we have presented
several examples that show similarities and differences between them, as well as their role in
the education of Serbian youth during the 19th century.

MANGER ENTRE CITOYENS

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ТΗΕ ETHICAL FUNCTION OF POETRY IN LYCURGUS’ SPEECH AGAINST LEOCRATES

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In this paper, on the example of Lycurgus’ speech Against Leocrates, we shall discuss the role and the function of quotations from Greek poetry in his forensic oratory. According to some contemporary critics of Lycurgus’ work, his rhetoric is a kind of anthology of patriotic attitudes, in which a large part of his defense is based on emphasizing his moral principles rather than presenting precise and formed legal arguments. The basic hypothesis of this research is that Lycurgus’ selection of passages chosen from Greek poets were mostly reflection of his own patriotic zeal and true moral beliefs. The aim of our paper is also to inquire into the use of poetry in the orator’s education and training but also into his knowledge and appreciation of the rhetoricians and their audience in the polis of Athens.

WESTERN CULTURE AND THE DIGITAL: FROM POLIS TO VIRTUAL COMMUNITY

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This analysis covers certain aspects of the development of Western culture from its beginnings in Ancient Greece to the contemporary tendencies expressed through digital technologies. The authors point out the possibilities, which are arising from ubiquitous use of modern digital technologies, for modification of contemporary Western culture framework and its adaptation to the now suppressed traditions inherited from the ancient times. The important aspects of development that had crucially defined the phenomenon of the Greek polis and set up permanent foundations of the Western culture are identified. Also, similarities and differences are discussed, along with the social innovations brought about by the widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies at the beginning of the 21st century. We have specifically analysed the processes of creation and functioning of a community and compared values based on which the Greek polis functioned with the values of today’s virtual communities. The phenomena of the feelings of belonging, mass participation, influence of the community on an individual and the importance of amateurism are explained as they originally appeared in the framework of polis. Finally, the potentials of revival of these phenomena are analysed in the context of the widespread use of digital technologies today.