STUDY ON THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE IMAGE OF OTHERS IN THE GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE

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The nature of individuals and societies can be revealed in the ways how they understand the "others" who exist inside and outside them in respect of both space and time. The purpose of this study is to clarify various aspects of the relationship with "others" which are reflected in the Greek and Roman classical literature and the classical traditions. The results of the research can be classified into the following five categories:1. A general view of how the Greco-Roman civilization developed its characteristic outlook on man and society was obtained through the comparison with other ancient civilizations and especially by observing the increasing receptivity of different people and cultures in the intellectual thoughts of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.2. Viewing the relationship with other peoples in terms of war and peace, we can find a distinct gap between them in Homer's Greek epic, whereas a new idea of the war which is not incompatible with peace but rather should serve to establish it is presented in Virgil's Roman epic.3. The changing views of slaves and women were brought to light through the observation of social and intellectual ideas of them in the classical Greek, Hellenistic and Roman periods as well as by analyzing in particular the Roman comedy and love elegy.4. The ideas of a Roman Stoic thinker Seneca on the merciful attitude of princes and the ways of giving favours to others were investigated through the close reading of his philosophical works.5. An important feature of the European civilization was made clear through the examination of Dante's Comedy, in which the ancient Greek and Roman idea of man is represented by Virgil and valued not only as pagan and "other" from the Christian point of view but also as rightful in an unprejudiced epic manner.