THE HISTORICAL LIBRARY OF DIODORUS SICULUS: THE EXPERIENCE OF MYTH RATIONALIZATION

Abstract

The interpretation of the classical text in this paper is based on the phenomenological approach, taking into account the most significant aspects of the phenomenon: whether Diodorus Siculus’ text is mythological and whether it can be used as a source of information about antique mythology. The article focuses on the rationalization of the historical process and on the desacralization of mythological images by Diodorus. He treats traditional stories and images pragmatically, choosing the most spectacular and credible ones and making active use of logical explanations. Narratives of gods turn into local conflicts and are often given an ethical assessment. Ontological necessity in history is replaced by the free expression of will. The concept of time cyclicity in a myth is replaced by linear understanding of history, with the transition from mythological time to historical time. Diodorus refuses to take the magical approach to describing the world, characteristic of mythological narratives, and turns the mythological text into an allegorical story. The story gains meaning through the glorification of personalities, with the preservation of mythological hyperbolization and an emphasis on the characters’ individual prowess. In this way, the myth turns into an instrument of didactics for the generations to come. The idea of fate is preserved at the level of retelling of mythological stories, presented by Diodorus as unreliable or instructive parables. The only remaining traditional issues are the myth’s basic etiological questions, in which Diodorus differs from his contemporaries, but which are interpreted in a rational way. Diodorus’ concept has a distinct personalist component and is based on empirical evidence. He no longer exists within the myth, but neither does he perform its theoretical analysis. The author believes that The Historical Library of Diodorus Siculus should be seen as an indicator of the state of culture in the era of
late antiquity