Use of “antithetical”

Question

Since the Eastern Jin, parallel prose was used even for minor reports and notices; in the Tang, it became the antithetical form.

I'm confused about what this sentence is saying. Is it saying that in the Tang, parallel prose was not used?

Answer 1

Without more context it would seem so, antithetical could have the meaning of incompatible here: parallel prose became the form that was the most opposed to the style used for the most common pieces of writing, instead it was used in rare cases for very particular literary exercises.

Answer 2

It is a version of antithesis*. In this context, it means that this form was only used for effect.

• Hegels Thesis and Antithesis for scientific progress. I will expand if anyone wants me to.

[edit] - expanding more I response to comment. Note that my understanding of Hegel is also not briliant.

In the context, the Thesis is the normal or main use of parallel prose. So, for the Eastern Jin, it is used in a range of writings, pretty much everywhere. The Antithesis of this is the opposing, meaning that for the Tang, it served as an obtuse or obscure usage, not the normal. Therefore, its use would have been for effect - to make something stand out from the norm.

Hegels use of this is to identify that over time, the Thesis and Antithesis tended to combine, counteract, merge to produce a Synthesis. The precise explanation of this i hte context would require a lot more of the writing.