Dialogic Format of Philo of Alexandria’s de Animalibus

Abstract

This contribution examines Philo of Alexandria’s De animalibus, paying particular attention to its dialogic format and considering it within the broader context of the development of the genre of the dialogue in antiquity. It argues that as an early imperial-period text, composed probably around 50 CE, De animalibus is of considerable importance to our understanding of transformations in ancient dialogue in the post-classical period.