Morality and Time in Fifth- and Fourth-Century Greek Literature

The underlying structures of moral reasons in Greek literature of the fifth and fourth centuries involve elements of time. Time should here be regarded not only as past, present, and future: aspectual and related categories are significant too. Considering these temporal patterns helps us to see the shapes of reasons and institutions over a wide range, and to understand better the types of criticism directed at them in the period. This in turn deepens our understanding of the literature. The article first looks at reasons based on 'perfective' past events, and then at reasons based on future perfective events and future extended states. Oaths, promises, debts, laws, and character are discussed; the discussion includes the activities of real and imaginary lawgivers, and sophistic criticism and responses to that criticism. Passages treated are drawn from, among other authors, Pindar, Herodotus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Antiphon the Sophist, Lysias, Thucydides, Plato, Lycurgus, Demosthenes, Aristotle.