Michael Ward
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195313871
- eISBN:
- 9780199871964
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313871.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
Sol, the most metallurgical of the planets, in Lewis's scholarship, poetry and That Hideous Strength. Sol's association with gold, liberality, and light symbolizing philosophical and theological ...
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Sol, the most metallurgical of the planets, in Lewis's scholarship, poetry and That Hideous Strength. Sol's association with gold, liberality, and light symbolizing philosophical and theological wisdom. The donegality of The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’, the story of a journey towards the rising sun. Apollo Sauroctonus, the lizard‐slaying sun‐god. A transcendent and universal Christology.Less
Sol, the most metallurgical of the planets, in Lewis's scholarship, poetry and That Hideous Strength. Sol's association with gold, liberality, and light symbolizing philosophical and theological wisdom. The donegality of The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’, the story of a journey towards the rising sun. Apollo Sauroctonus, the lizard‐slaying sun‐god. A transcendent and universal Christology.
Jennifer Ingleheart
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199232536
- eISBN:
- 9780191716003
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199232536.003.0010
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The strong visual appeal of Ovid's Metamorphoses has long invited comparison with the pleasures of pantomime, most influentially in a publication by Galinsky. In the study of Ovid's references from ...
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The strong visual appeal of Ovid's Metamorphoses has long invited comparison with the pleasures of pantomime, most influentially in a publication by Galinsky. In the study of Ovid's references from exile to his poetry being ‘danced in the crowded theatres’, this chapter argues in detail that the obvious text for pantomime realisation is the Metamorphoses, rather than the Heroides (as has occasionally been claimed); through close attention to the detail in Ovid's poetry, it explores how the subject‐matter of that epic, with its compact vignettes of action, emotive rhetoric, exotic settings, and underlying emphasis on bodily transformation, must have been suggestive to pantomime dancers. Furthermore the chapter argues that there is plenty of action which could easily be represented through movement, gesture, and basic stage props. The discussion incorporates the crucial evidence of Jacob of Sarugh about pantomime performances of the myth of Apollo and Daphne. This chapter engages with the issue of pantomime libretti.Less
The strong visual appeal of Ovid's Metamorphoses has long invited comparison with the pleasures of pantomime, most influentially in a publication by Galinsky. In the study of Ovid's references from exile to his poetry being ‘danced in the crowded theatres’, this chapter argues in detail that the obvious text for pantomime realisation is the Metamorphoses, rather than the Heroides (as has occasionally been claimed); through close attention to the detail in Ovid's poetry, it explores how the subject‐matter of that epic, with its compact vignettes of action, emotive rhetoric, exotic settings, and underlying emphasis on bodily transformation, must have been suggestive to pantomime dancers. Furthermore the chapter argues that there is plenty of action which could easily be represented through movement, gesture, and basic stage props. The discussion incorporates the crucial evidence of Jacob of Sarugh about pantomime performances of the myth of Apollo and Daphne. This chapter engages with the issue of pantomime libretti.
L. A. Swift
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199577842
- eISBN:
- 9780191722622
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199577842.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter explores how Greek tragedy evokes the paean. The chapter begins with an investigation of the paean, a religious song associated with Apollo, establishing its function in society and ...
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This chapter explores how Greek tragedy evokes the paean. The chapter begins with an investigation of the paean, a religious song associated with Apollo, establishing its function in society and common features. The chapter gives an overview of how the paean is deployed in Greek tragedy, before going on to examine two case‐studies in detail: Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus and Euripides' Ion. Both these plays evoke the paean regularly, and do so to enhance some of their central themes. In particular, both plays use paeanic imagery to highlight questions they raise about the role that the gods play in mortal affairs.Less
This chapter explores how Greek tragedy evokes the paean. The chapter begins with an investigation of the paean, a religious song associated with Apollo, establishing its function in society and common features. The chapter gives an overview of how the paean is deployed in Greek tragedy, before going on to examine two case‐studies in detail: Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus and Euripides' Ion. Both these plays evoke the paean regularly, and do so to enhance some of their central themes. In particular, both plays use paeanic imagery to highlight questions they raise about the role that the gods play in mortal affairs.
Yulia Ustinova
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199548569
- eISBN:
- 9780191720840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548569.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter discusses oracles focused on caves and subterranean chambers, such as the prophetic caves belonging to Pan and the Nymphs, oracles of the dead (at Taenarum, Heracleia Pontica, and ...
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This chapter discusses oracles focused on caves and subterranean chambers, such as the prophetic caves belonging to Pan and the Nymphs, oracles of the dead (at Taenarum, Heracleia Pontica, and elsewhere), the caverns in the valley of Meander (Hierapolis and Acharaca), oracular cults of immortal subterranean daimons (Trophonius, Amphiaraus, Zalmoxis, Rhesus, and Orpheus), and several ancient and important oracular shrines of Apollo (Ptoion, Claros, and most notably, Delphi). The main reasons for location of oracles in caves are sensory deprivation or inhalation of poisonous gases that induced altered states of consciousness required for inspired divination. It is also argued that cave experiences of ordinary Greeks were quite widespread. Prophetic priests, members of sacred embassies, private consultants who applied to various oracles for advice, and individuals who personally experienced in caves altered states of consciousness—all these people knew that descent into caves brought about noetic sensations.Less
This chapter discusses oracles focused on caves and subterranean chambers, such as the prophetic caves belonging to Pan and the Nymphs, oracles of the dead (at Taenarum, Heracleia Pontica, and elsewhere), the caverns in the valley of Meander (Hierapolis and Acharaca), oracular cults of immortal subterranean daimons (Trophonius, Amphiaraus, Zalmoxis, Rhesus, and Orpheus), and several ancient and important oracular shrines of Apollo (Ptoion, Claros, and most notably, Delphi). The main reasons for location of oracles in caves are sensory deprivation or inhalation of poisonous gases that induced altered states of consciousness required for inspired divination. It is also argued that cave experiences of ordinary Greeks were quite widespread. Prophetic priests, members of sacred embassies, private consultants who applied to various oracles for advice, and individuals who personally experienced in caves altered states of consciousness—all these people knew that descent into caves brought about noetic sensations.
Constance Valis Hill
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195390827
- eISBN:
- 9780199863563
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195390827.003.0005
- Subject:
- Music, History, American, Dance
This chapter begins with the tap challenge between Baby Laurence Jackson and Freddie James in Harlem. It then launches into the 1930s in which “tap was everywhere.” The decade that saw more tap dance ...
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This chapter begins with the tap challenge between Baby Laurence Jackson and Freddie James in Harlem. It then launches into the 1930s in which “tap was everywhere.” The decade that saw more tap dance acts than any other in the twentieth century was also the most segregated. Thirty years after the Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had ruled for “separate but equal” status for black Americans in public transportation, the Jim Crow laws had become an institutionalized and codified practice. This chapter looks at the segregated arenas for tap in the 1930s—at the Lafayette and Apollo Theaters and the Cotton Club, which featured such black musical artists as the Nicholas Brothers, Buck and Bubbles, and Cora LaRedd; within Hollywood musicals starring, among others, Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell; and in sites of interracial performance in Hollywood musicals.Less
This chapter begins with the tap challenge between Baby Laurence Jackson and Freddie James in Harlem. It then launches into the 1930s in which “tap was everywhere.” The decade that saw more tap dance acts than any other in the twentieth century was also the most segregated. Thirty years after the Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had ruled for “separate but equal” status for black Americans in public transportation, the Jim Crow laws had become an institutionalized and codified practice. This chapter looks at the segregated arenas for tap in the 1930s—at the Lafayette and Apollo Theaters and the Cotton Club, which featured such black musical artists as the Nicholas Brothers, Buck and Bubbles, and Cora LaRedd; within Hollywood musicals starring, among others, Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell; and in sites of interracial performance in Hollywood musicals.
Bruce Heiden
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195341072
- eISBN:
- 9780199867066
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341072.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter turns to the last book of the Iliad, whose analogies of theme and positioning relate it to books 1, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Apollo's speech to the Olympians in book 24 is situated in a ...
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This chapter turns to the last book of the Iliad, whose analogies of theme and positioning relate it to books 1, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Apollo's speech to the Olympians in book 24 is situated in a trajectory of thematic development reaching back to Chryses's prayer to Apollo in book 1 and including Patroklos's appeal to Achilles in book 16. Hera's reply to Apollo in book 24 is situated in a trajectory that includes Agamemnon's reply to Chryses in book 1, Achilles' replies to the embassy in book 9, and Hera's refusal to permit Zeus to save Sarpedon in book 16. Zeus's mediation in book 24 is situated in a trajectory that Nestor's attempted reconciliation in book 1 and Zeus's agreement with Hera in book 15. Concluding observations liken the effect of the thematic suggestions to that of an epiphany.Less
This chapter turns to the last book of the Iliad, whose analogies of theme and positioning relate it to books 1, 8, 9, 15, and 16. Apollo's speech to the Olympians in book 24 is situated in a trajectory of thematic development reaching back to Chryses's prayer to Apollo in book 1 and including Patroklos's appeal to Achilles in book 16. Hera's reply to Apollo in book 24 is situated in a trajectory that includes Agamemnon's reply to Chryses in book 1, Achilles' replies to the embassy in book 9, and Hera's refusal to permit Zeus to save Sarpedon in book 16. Zeus's mediation in book 24 is situated in a trajectory that Nestor's attempted reconciliation in book 1 and Zeus's agreement with Hera in book 15. Concluding observations liken the effect of the thematic suggestions to that of an epiphany.
A. S. RUSYAYEVA
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264041
- eISBN:
- 9780191734311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264041.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter aims not to provide a complete reconstruction of the religious interactions between the Greeks of Olbia and the people of Scythia, its aim rather is to provide an overview of the key ...
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This chapter aims not to provide a complete reconstruction of the religious interactions between the Greeks of Olbia and the people of Scythia, its aim rather is to provide an overview of the key aspects of the religious interactions between Olbia and Scythia as embodied in the interpretations of the different sources from the late archaic period and classical periods. It discusses the close contacts of the Greeks and the nomads of Scythia and their influences upon the religious beliefs of one another. The Greeks imposed great influences upon the religious beliefs of the non-Greeks. The notable of which is the solar associations of Apollo and his role as an archer which gained approval and acceptance to the outlooks of the Scythians who could identify with him deities of their own. Although they adapted some of the concepts of the Greek religious beliefs, Scythians remained true to their own traditions and beliefs. The Olbia populace on the other hand, did not accept any of the religious practices and beliefs of the nomadic Scythians except for the burials of women who had been brought from the north.Less
This chapter aims not to provide a complete reconstruction of the religious interactions between the Greeks of Olbia and the people of Scythia, its aim rather is to provide an overview of the key aspects of the religious interactions between Olbia and Scythia as embodied in the interpretations of the different sources from the late archaic period and classical periods. It discusses the close contacts of the Greeks and the nomads of Scythia and their influences upon the religious beliefs of one another. The Greeks imposed great influences upon the religious beliefs of the non-Greeks. The notable of which is the solar associations of Apollo and his role as an archer which gained approval and acceptance to the outlooks of the Scythians who could identify with him deities of their own. Although they adapted some of the concepts of the Greek religious beliefs, Scythians remained true to their own traditions and beliefs. The Olbia populace on the other hand, did not accept any of the religious practices and beliefs of the nomadic Scythians except for the burials of women who had been brought from the north.
W. S. Barrett
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203574
- eISBN:
- 9780191708183
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203574.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter presents an analysis of Bacchylides, Asine, and Apollo Pythaieu. Topics discussed include the text, identification, commentary, and literary evidence for the cult of Apollo Pythaieus at ...
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This chapter presents an analysis of Bacchylides, Asine, and Apollo Pythaieu. Topics discussed include the text, identification, commentary, and literary evidence for the cult of Apollo Pythaieus at Asine.Less
This chapter presents an analysis of Bacchylides, Asine, and Apollo Pythaieu. Topics discussed include the text, identification, commentary, and literary evidence for the cult of Apollo Pythaieus at Asine.
Christian Moevs
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195174618
- eISBN:
- 9780199835430
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195174615.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
The first twelve verses of Paradiso 29 are set off from the textual narrative and mark the center of the pilgrim's sojourn in the Primo Mobile. At least by one way of counting, they mark its exact ...
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The first twelve verses of Paradiso 29 are set off from the textual narrative and mark the center of the pilgrim's sojourn in the Primo Mobile. At least by one way of counting, they mark its exact center: they are preceded by 187 lines (from Dante's arrival in the Primo Mobile at Paradiso 27.100), and followed by 187 lines (to the narrative end of Dante's ascent to the Empyrean, at Paradiso 30.54). If Dante structured this intentionally, it may not be a coincidence that the digits of 187 numerologically add up to seven, a number Dante conjures by evoking two and five just after the pilgrim's entry into the Primo Mobile. As seen in “Time” section of the preceding chapter, seven for Macrobius represents the Neoplatonic world soul, the nexus between the One and the Many, as for the patristic tradition it represents the Holy Spirit; seven also denotes the completion of the work of creation. Seven is the number of man, the bridge or knot (like the Primo Mobile itself) between Creator and creation, between the self-subsistent and the contingent, between intellect (a three) and matter (a four). It is argued that those opening four tercets, which make a seven bracketed by sevens, mark a turning point or bridge, perhaps parallel to the “pivot”of conversion between earthly cupidity and selfless love that Singleton traced — as another pivotal seven framed by sevens — at the center of the entire Comedy. There may also be a link to proud Niobe (Pg 12.37-39), standing between seven and seven children killed by Apollo (in an acrostic spelling uom [“man”]), after having scorned Apollo's mother Latona for having only two children (Apollo and Diana). It is shown that pride, the downfall of man, is not to know both Latona's children as oneself, not to know oneself as both Apollo and Diana.Less
The first twelve verses of Paradiso 29 are set off from the textual narrative and mark the center of the pilgrim's sojourn in the Primo Mobile. At least by one way of counting, they mark its exact center: they are preceded by 187 lines (from Dante's arrival in the Primo Mobile at Paradiso 27.100), and followed by 187 lines (to the narrative end of Dante's ascent to the Empyrean, at Paradiso 30.54). If Dante structured this intentionally, it may not be a coincidence that the digits of 187 numerologically add up to seven, a number Dante conjures by evoking two and five just after the pilgrim's entry into the Primo Mobile. As seen in “Time” section of the preceding chapter, seven for Macrobius represents the Neoplatonic world soul, the nexus between the One and the Many, as for the patristic tradition it represents the Holy Spirit; seven also denotes the completion of the work of creation. Seven is the number of man, the bridge or knot (like the Primo Mobile itself) between Creator and creation, between the self-subsistent and the contingent, between intellect (a three) and matter (a four). It is argued that those opening four tercets, which make a seven bracketed by sevens, mark a turning point or bridge, perhaps parallel to the “pivot”of conversion between earthly cupidity and selfless love that Singleton traced — as another pivotal seven framed by sevens — at the center of the entire Comedy. There may also be a link to proud Niobe (Pg 12.37-39), standing between seven and seven children killed by Apollo (in an acrostic spelling uom [“man”]), after having scorned Apollo's mother Latona for having only two children (Apollo and Diana). It is shown that pride, the downfall of man, is not to know both Latona's children as oneself, not to know oneself as both Apollo and Diana.
Jon D. Mikalson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199577835
- eISBN:
- 9780191723063
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199577835.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In Socratic literature divination is a featured return from the gods for ‘service’ to them and helps form the ‘partnership’ of gods and men. Virtually all philosophers except Xenophanes and Epicurus ...
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In Socratic literature divination is a featured return from the gods for ‘service’ to them and helps form the ‘partnership’ of gods and men. Virtually all philosophers except Xenophanes and Epicurus accepted the practice. Socrates practised divination and employed it as proof of the gods' concern for humans, and his own practice was used by his defenders as proof that he had ‘proper respect’ for the gods. Special attention is given to his unique daimonion and to Apollo's oracle as a motivator of his philosophic mission. Separate sections discuss dreams and manteis (soothsayers) as described and used in the philosophic tradition, and the chapter concludes with the argument that divination was a major determinant of elements of ‘service to the gods’ such as sanctuaries, sacrifices, festivals, and other cult activities.Less
In Socratic literature divination is a featured return from the gods for ‘service’ to them and helps form the ‘partnership’ of gods and men. Virtually all philosophers except Xenophanes and Epicurus accepted the practice. Socrates practised divination and employed it as proof of the gods' concern for humans, and his own practice was used by his defenders as proof that he had ‘proper respect’ for the gods. Special attention is given to his unique daimonion and to Apollo's oracle as a motivator of his philosophic mission. Separate sections discuss dreams and manteis (soothsayers) as described and used in the philosophic tradition, and the chapter concludes with the argument that divination was a major determinant of elements of ‘service to the gods’ such as sanctuaries, sacrifices, festivals, and other cult activities.
Guy Hedreen
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199546510
- eISBN:
- 9780191594922
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546510.003.0010
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses Pindar's Paean 6 and its mythology in the light of contemporary art, especially sculpture. The Aphaia pediments and Pindar's poem enhance Aegina's heroes, while engaging with ...
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This chapter discusses Pindar's Paean 6 and its mythology in the light of contemporary art, especially sculpture. The Aphaia pediments and Pindar's poem enhance Aegina's heroes, while engaging with the mythology of the fall of Troy. The Aphaia pediments rethink the pictorial conventions of the last night of Troy, and put the pairing of pediments of equal scale to good semantic use to suggest that the first Trojan War was at least as significant as the famous second campaign. With Paean 6 there was no denying Apollo's involvement in the deaths of Achilles and Neoptolemos; but by emphasizing Apollo's interest in Troy as a motivation for his actions, it was possible to avoid mention of the ugliest deeds attributed to those two heroes. Pindar also tightened the links between the Trojan War, the Delphic Theoxenia, and the Aeginetan cult of Zeus Hellanios, through emphasis on the pious Aeginetan culture-hero Aiakos.Less
This chapter discusses Pindar's Paean 6 and its mythology in the light of contemporary art, especially sculpture. The Aphaia pediments and Pindar's poem enhance Aegina's heroes, while engaging with the mythology of the fall of Troy. The Aphaia pediments rethink the pictorial conventions of the last night of Troy, and put the pairing of pediments of equal scale to good semantic use to suggest that the first Trojan War was at least as significant as the famous second campaign. With Paean 6 there was no denying Apollo's involvement in the deaths of Achilles and Neoptolemos; but by emphasizing Apollo's interest in Troy as a motivation for his actions, it was possible to avoid mention of the ugliest deeds attributed to those two heroes. Pindar also tightened the links between the Trojan War, the Delphic Theoxenia, and the Aeginetan cult of Zeus Hellanios, through emphasis on the pious Aeginetan culture-hero Aiakos.
Ian Rutherford
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199546510
- eISBN:
- 9780191594922
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546510.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The ‘Theārion of the Pythian one’ referred to in Pindar's Nemean 3 has emerged in recent scholarship as a central focus of debate in Aeginetan studies. There is general agreement that this must have ...
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The ‘Theārion of the Pythian one’ referred to in Pindar's Nemean 3 has emerged in recent scholarship as a central focus of debate in Aeginetan studies. There is general agreement that this must have been the meeting place for Aeginetan theāroi, one of whose principal functions was liaising with Delphi. This chapter discusses the significance of this building and its officials for the religious and political life of the polis, through an assessment of comparative evidence from other states, including inscriptions. On Aegina at least, it is suggested that the role of being a theōros had two components: inside the polis, that of being an administrative magistrate; outside the polis, that of representing one's city in sacred delegations to extraterritorial sanctuaries.Less
The ‘Theārion of the Pythian one’ referred to in Pindar's Nemean 3 has emerged in recent scholarship as a central focus of debate in Aeginetan studies. There is general agreement that this must have been the meeting place for Aeginetan theāroi, one of whose principal functions was liaising with Delphi. This chapter discusses the significance of this building and its officials for the religious and political life of the polis, through an assessment of comparative evidence from other states, including inscriptions. On Aegina at least, it is suggested that the role of being a theōros had two components: inside the polis, that of being an administrative magistrate; outside the polis, that of representing one's city in sacred delegations to extraterritorial sanctuaries.
Lucia Athanassaki
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199546510
- eISBN:
- 9780191594922
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546510.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses Pindar's Olympian 8 in the context of escalating tensions between Aegina and Athens. It interprets the political significance of some major poetic choices in light of the ...
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This chapter discusses Pindar's Olympian 8 in the context of escalating tensions between Aegina and Athens. It interprets the political significance of some major poetic choices in light of the historical background of the composition and performance, linking a number of issues that scholars have previously assessed independently: the importance of the two different performance settings that poem indicates; the political significance of Apollo's prophecy to Aiakos in the ode's myth; Pindar's allusion to the two pediments of the Temple of Aphaia temple; comparison of Apollo's prophecy with the Delphic oracle to the Athenians to mark out a precinct to Aiakos recorded at Herodotus 5.89. Pindar's mythical variant, building on the sculptural programme of the Temple of Aphaia, challenges the force of the Athenian tradition as a charter for the eventual destruction of Aegina. The opening description of a performance at Olympia underlines the Panhellenic aspirations of these Aeginetan counter-claims.Less
This chapter discusses Pindar's Olympian 8 in the context of escalating tensions between Aegina and Athens. It interprets the political significance of some major poetic choices in light of the historical background of the composition and performance, linking a number of issues that scholars have previously assessed independently: the importance of the two different performance settings that poem indicates; the political significance of Apollo's prophecy to Aiakos in the ode's myth; Pindar's allusion to the two pediments of the Temple of Aphaia temple; comparison of Apollo's prophecy with the Delphic oracle to the Athenians to mark out a precinct to Aiakos recorded at Herodotus 5.89. Pindar's mythical variant, building on the sculptural programme of the Temple of Aphaia, challenges the force of the Athenian tradition as a charter for the eventual destruction of Aegina. The opening description of a performance at Olympia underlines the Panhellenic aspirations of these Aeginetan counter-claims.
Alan H. Sommerstein
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199568314
- eISBN:
- 9780191723018
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568314.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter draws attention to two misconceptions about Aeschylus' Choephoroi. It points out, firstly, that Electra is recommended to pray (110–21), and then does pray (130–44), for the return of ...
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This chapter draws attention to two misconceptions about Aeschylus' Choephoroi. It points out, firstly, that Electra is recommended to pray (110–21), and then does pray (130–44), for the return of Orestes and the coming of someone who will avenge Agamemnon's murder, as if these were two entirely separate things; not till she and we hear of Apollo's oracle (269–96) does she learn that Orestes himself must be the avenger. Secondly, Apollo's oracle as at first reported contains no promise of protection, only commands and threats; the first mention of a promise comes only at lines 1032–3, and until then the audience cannot be sure that Apollo will not let the endless cycle of revenge continue indefinitely.Less
This chapter draws attention to two misconceptions about Aeschylus' Choephoroi. It points out, firstly, that Electra is recommended to pray (110–21), and then does pray (130–44), for the return of Orestes and the coming of someone who will avenge Agamemnon's murder, as if these were two entirely separate things; not till she and we hear of Apollo's oracle (269–96) does she learn that Orestes himself must be the avenger. Secondly, Apollo's oracle as at first reported contains no promise of protection, only commands and threats; the first mention of a promise comes only at lines 1032–3, and until then the audience cannot be sure that Apollo will not let the endless cycle of revenge continue indefinitely.
Jan Bremmer and Andrew Erskine (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748637980
- eISBN:
- 9780748670758
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748637980.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This book explores the Greek gods from Homer to Late Antiquity. The Greek gods are still very much present in modern consciousness. Yet even though Apollo and Dionysos, Artemis and Aphrodite, Zeus ...
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This book explores the Greek gods from Homer to Late Antiquity. The Greek gods are still very much present in modern consciousness. Yet even though Apollo and Dionysos, Artemis and Aphrodite, Zeus and Hermes are household names, it is much less clear what these divinities stood for in Ancient Greece. In fact they have been rather neglected in modern scholarship which has tended to focus on other aspects of Greek religion such as ritual and myth. The book brings together a term of international scholars with the aim of remedying the situation and generating new approaches to the study of the nature and development of the Greek gods. It looks at the individual gods but it also asks to what extent cult, myth and literary genre determine the nature of a divinity. How do the Greek gods function in a polytheistic pantheon and what is their connection to heroes? What is the influence of philosophy? What does archaeology tell us about the gods? In what ways do the gods of late antiquity differ from those of classical Greece? The aim of this book is to present a comprehensive view of the gods as they functioned in Greek culture until the triumph of Christianity.Less
This book explores the Greek gods from Homer to Late Antiquity. The Greek gods are still very much present in modern consciousness. Yet even though Apollo and Dionysos, Artemis and Aphrodite, Zeus and Hermes are household names, it is much less clear what these divinities stood for in Ancient Greece. In fact they have been rather neglected in modern scholarship which has tended to focus on other aspects of Greek religion such as ritual and myth. The book brings together a term of international scholars with the aim of remedying the situation and generating new approaches to the study of the nature and development of the Greek gods. It looks at the individual gods but it also asks to what extent cult, myth and literary genre determine the nature of a divinity. How do the Greek gods function in a polytheistic pantheon and what is their connection to heroes? What is the influence of philosophy? What does archaeology tell us about the gods? In what ways do the gods of late antiquity differ from those of classical Greece? The aim of this book is to present a comprehensive view of the gods as they functioned in Greek culture until the triumph of Christianity.
Milette Gaifman
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199645787
- eISBN:
- 9780191741623
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199645787.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical, History of Art: pre-history, BCE to 500CE, ancient and classical, Byzantine
Two types of monument occupy a privileged place in the study of Greek aniconism: Apollo's column, known as the agyieus, and the Dioskouroi's parallel beams, commonly termed the dokana. In contrast to ...
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Two types of monument occupy a privileged place in the study of Greek aniconism: Apollo's column, known as the agyieus, and the Dioskouroi's parallel beams, commonly termed the dokana. In contrast to the plethora of rocks and stelai seen so far, in these two instances a non-figural form was already associated in ancient texts with a particular divinity. This chapter revisits a variety of objects and images that have been classified under the rubrics designated by the ancient words ‘agyieus’ and ‘dokana’. Rather than confirming or illustrating ancient testimonia, material finds reveal an additional aspect of the phenomenon of Greek aniconism. Nonfigural monuments associated with Apollo and the Dioskouroi, but not necessarily markers of divine presence, were adopted as emblems of localities and identities, principally in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Together with literary accounts, these objects and images reveal that the non-figural came to occupy a central place in asserting local identities in the later centuries of Greek antiquity.Less
Two types of monument occupy a privileged place in the study of Greek aniconism: Apollo's column, known as the agyieus, and the Dioskouroi's parallel beams, commonly termed the dokana. In contrast to the plethora of rocks and stelai seen so far, in these two instances a non-figural form was already associated in ancient texts with a particular divinity. This chapter revisits a variety of objects and images that have been classified under the rubrics designated by the ancient words ‘agyieus’ and ‘dokana’. Rather than confirming or illustrating ancient testimonia, material finds reveal an additional aspect of the phenomenon of Greek aniconism. Nonfigural monuments associated with Apollo and the Dioskouroi, but not necessarily markers of divine presence, were adopted as emblems of localities and identities, principally in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Together with literary accounts, these objects and images reveal that the non-figural came to occupy a central place in asserting local identities in the later centuries of Greek antiquity.
David Ulansey
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195067880
- eISBN:
- 9780199853328
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195067880.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
According to Plutarch, the beginning of Mithraism can be drawn back to the pirates of Cilicia who came across with the Roman general Pompey. The important cults in Cilicia worshipped Perseus with ...
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According to Plutarch, the beginning of Mithraism can be drawn back to the pirates of Cilicia who came across with the Roman general Pompey. The important cults in Cilicia worshipped Perseus with historical and archaeological evidences supporting the connection between Mithras and Perseus. For M.L. Vermaseren, the coins of Emperor Gordian III bearing the image of the bull slayer depicts that Mithras was indeed worshipped in Tarsus, capital of Cilicia, and the home of the cult of Perseus. Joseph Fontenrose said that Perseus appeared on coins of Cilician cities which were reinforced by Louis Robert stating that these coins were in a tradition that was established in the first century. There are essentially two points from which we can strongly relate Mithras to Perseus: the coins that showed Perseus' involvement with Apollo, and the notable emblem of the city of Tarsus, which was the symbol of the lion attacking the bull.Less
According to Plutarch, the beginning of Mithraism can be drawn back to the pirates of Cilicia who came across with the Roman general Pompey. The important cults in Cilicia worshipped Perseus with historical and archaeological evidences supporting the connection between Mithras and Perseus. For M.L. Vermaseren, the coins of Emperor Gordian III bearing the image of the bull slayer depicts that Mithras was indeed worshipped in Tarsus, capital of Cilicia, and the home of the cult of Perseus. Joseph Fontenrose said that Perseus appeared on coins of Cilician cities which were reinforced by Louis Robert stating that these coins were in a tradition that was established in the first century. There are essentially two points from which we can strongly relate Mithras to Perseus: the coins that showed Perseus' involvement with Apollo, and the notable emblem of the city of Tarsus, which was the symbol of the lion attacking the bull.
Jan N. Bremmer and Andrew Erskine
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748637980
- eISBN:
- 9780748670758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748637980.003.0026
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
The late 19th and early 20th century is a landmark in the history of the study of the Greek gods. In this paper, I examine key models of interpretation of the Greek gods in Germany and Britain at ...
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The late 19th and early 20th century is a landmark in the history of the study of the Greek gods. In this paper, I examine key models of interpretation of the Greek gods in Germany and Britain at this period with a focus on Apollo. On the German side, I examine the nature-mythological model of W.H. Roscher, the Sondergötter of H. Usener, and the Universal gods of E. Curtius. On the British side, I look at novel approaches inspired by anthropology and later sociology in the work of L.R. Farnell and J.E. Harrison. I am particularly interested in the ways in which interpretation reflected the values and the agendas of the interpreter and his/her times.Less
The late 19th and early 20th century is a landmark in the history of the study of the Greek gods. In this paper, I examine key models of interpretation of the Greek gods in Germany and Britain at this period with a focus on Apollo. On the German side, I examine the nature-mythological model of W.H. Roscher, the Sondergötter of H. Usener, and the Universal gods of E. Curtius. On the British side, I look at novel approaches inspired by anthropology and later sociology in the work of L.R. Farnell and J.E. Harrison. I am particularly interested in the ways in which interpretation reflected the values and the agendas of the interpreter and his/her times.
Jan N. Bremmer and Andrew Erskine
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748637980
- eISBN:
- 9780748670758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748637980.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
The Greeks were polytheists who believed in a multitude of gods. In the modern discussion of Greek religion the gods take second place to ritual, and the study of individual gods is privileged over ...
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The Greeks were polytheists who believed in a multitude of gods. In the modern discussion of Greek religion the gods take second place to ritual, and the study of individual gods is privileged over attempts to define their general characteristics qua gods. While studies of the functions and personalities of gods like Apollo, Demeter, Dionysos or Herakles abound, no comprehensive treatment of the generic properties of the Greek gods exists. The question “What is Greek god?” is considered too ‘theological’ and therefore shunned. This chapter examines four divine qualities that are shared by all the Greek gods—their immortality, anthropomorphism, foreknowledge, and finally their power.Less
The Greeks were polytheists who believed in a multitude of gods. In the modern discussion of Greek religion the gods take second place to ritual, and the study of individual gods is privileged over attempts to define their general characteristics qua gods. While studies of the functions and personalities of gods like Apollo, Demeter, Dionysos or Herakles abound, no comprehensive treatment of the generic properties of the Greek gods exists. The question “What is Greek god?” is considered too ‘theological’ and therefore shunned. This chapter examines four divine qualities that are shared by all the Greek gods—their immortality, anthropomorphism, foreknowledge, and finally their power.
Jan N. Bremmer and Andrew Erskine
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748637980
- eISBN:
- 9780748670758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748637980.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
Richard Buxton discuss five examples of narratives which relate in some way to divine metamorphosis, whether as animals or humans, for the purpose of presenting themselves to mortals. The narratives ...
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Richard Buxton discuss five examples of narratives which relate in some way to divine metamorphosis, whether as animals or humans, for the purpose of presenting themselves to mortals. The narratives studied are the following: Athena’s encounter with Telemachos in the Odyssey, Apollo in the Hymn to Apollo, Thetis’ relationship with Achilles, Dionysos in the Bacchae and Zeus’ serial metamorphoses in pursuit of his erotic ambitions. After drawing conclusions about each of these metamorphoses and epiphanies, Buxton concludes by considering what light this material might shed on the old problem of how far Greek religion was essentially anthropomorphic.Less
Richard Buxton discuss five examples of narratives which relate in some way to divine metamorphosis, whether as animals or humans, for the purpose of presenting themselves to mortals. The narratives studied are the following: Athena’s encounter with Telemachos in the Odyssey, Apollo in the Hymn to Apollo, Thetis’ relationship with Achilles, Dionysos in the Bacchae and Zeus’ serial metamorphoses in pursuit of his erotic ambitions. After drawing conclusions about each of these metamorphoses and epiphanies, Buxton concludes by considering what light this material might shed on the old problem of how far Greek religion was essentially anthropomorphic.
