Editing Alciphron (section)

==Works==
We possess under the name of Alciphron 116 fictional letters, in 3 books, the object of which is to delineate the characters of certain classes of men by introducing them as expressing their peculiar sentiments and opinions upon subjects with which they were familiar.  The classes of persons which Alciphron chose for this purpose are fishermen, country people, parasites, and ''[[hetaera]]e'' or [[Athens|Athenian]] [[courtesan]]s.  All are made to express their sentiments in the most graceful and elegant language, even where the subjects are of a low or obscene kind.  The characters are thus somewhat raised above their common standard, without any great violation of the truth of reality.

The form of these letters is exquisitely beautiful, and the language is the pure [[Attic Greek|Attic dialect]], such as it was spoken in the best times in familiar but refined conversation at [[Athens]], even though the imaginary writers are country people, fishermen, parasites and courtesans.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Alciphron|volume=1|page=523}}</ref>  The city from which the letters are dated is, with a few exceptions, Athens and its vicinity; and the time, wherever it is discernible, is the period after the reign of [[Alexander the Great]].  The Attic [[New Comedy]] was the principal source from which the author derived his information respecting the characters and manners which he describes, and for this reason these letters contain much valuable information about the private life of the Athenians of that time.

It has been said that Alciphron was an imitator of [[Lucian]]; but besides the style, and, in a few instances, the subject matter, there is no resemblance between the two writers: the spirit in which the two treat their subjects is totally different. Both derived their materials from the same sources, and in style both aimed at the greatest perfection of the genuine Attic Greek.  Classical scholar [[Stephan Bergler]] has remarked that Alciphron stands in the same relation to [[Menander]] as Lucian to [[Aristophanes]].<ref name="DGRBM"/>