Robert Parker
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199208791
- eISBN:
- 9780191709029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199208791.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter discusses Murray's writing on Greek religion between 1907 and 1915, showing how he saw in it as imaginative ideal which reflected was his in own mixture of rationalism and aspirational ...
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This chapter discusses Murray's writing on Greek religion between 1907 and 1915, showing how he saw in it as imaginative ideal which reflected was his in own mixture of rationalism and aspirational agnosticism. The following works — A History of Ancient Greek Literature, The Rise of the Greek Epic, and Four Stages in Greek Religion — are analysed.Less
This chapter discusses Murray's writing on Greek religion between 1907 and 1915, showing how he saw in it as imaginative ideal which reflected was his in own mixture of rationalism and aspirational agnosticism. The following works — A History of Ancient Greek Literature, The Rise of the Greek Epic, and Four Stages in Greek Religion — are analysed.
Stanley Stowers
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199738960
- eISBN:
- 9780199918676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199738960.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
Focusing on a distinction between two modes of ancient Mediterranean religion, the religion of everyday social exchange, in which the main focus was on plant and animal offerings, and the religion of ...
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Focusing on a distinction between two modes of ancient Mediterranean religion, the religion of everyday social exchange, in which the main focus was on plant and animal offerings, and the religion of literate cultural producers, which relies upon the former but re-defines practice as a product of the mind, Stanley Stowers argues that ancient cultural producers textualized sacrificial practice, turning sacrifice into a matter of truths and meanings and overlooking the function of sacrifice as a strategic, practical system of reciprocity between gods and human beings. Modern studies of sacrifice too often depend upon these ancient textual performances, privileging theologies of sacrifice over the underlying and un-theorized practical system of sacrificial exchange in their own attempts to extract meaning. Stowers encourages a renewed focus on sacrifice as a strategy of daily living that avoids the obfuscating fascination with beliefs and discursive rationales common to ancient and modern discourses alike.Less
Focusing on a distinction between two modes of ancient Mediterranean religion, the religion of everyday social exchange, in which the main focus was on plant and animal offerings, and the religion of literate cultural producers, which relies upon the former but re-defines practice as a product of the mind, Stanley Stowers argues that ancient cultural producers textualized sacrificial practice, turning sacrifice into a matter of truths and meanings and overlooking the function of sacrifice as a strategic, practical system of reciprocity between gods and human beings. Modern studies of sacrifice too often depend upon these ancient textual performances, privileging theologies of sacrifice over the underlying and un-theorized practical system of sacrificial exchange in their own attempts to extract meaning. Stowers encourages a renewed focus on sacrifice as a strategy of daily living that avoids the obfuscating fascination with beliefs and discursive rationales common to ancient and modern discourses alike.
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/9780748637980.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
Jan Bremmer explores the historiography of the Greek gods over the past century or so. He begins with the Indo-European and Mycenean prehistory of the Greek gods, pointing out that no modern history ...
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Jan Bremmer explores the historiography of the Greek gods over the past century or so. He begins with the Indo-European and Mycenean prehistory of the Greek gods, pointing out that no modern history of Greek religion contained such an overview until Walter Burkert’s history was published in 1977. He then examines in turn the contributions to the study of the Greek gods made by four of the best histories of Greek religion from the twentieth century, namely those of Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, Louis Gernet, Martin Nilsson and Burkert himself.Less
Jan Bremmer explores the historiography of the Greek gods over the past century or so. He begins with the Indo-European and Mycenean prehistory of the Greek gods, pointing out that no modern history of Greek religion contained such an overview until Walter Burkert’s history was published in 1977. He then examines in turn the contributions to the study of the Greek gods made by four of the best histories of Greek religion from the twentieth century, namely those of Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorf, Louis Gernet, Martin Nilsson and Burkert himself.
Robert Parker
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265062
- eISBN:
- 9780191754173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265062.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The main part of this chapter reviews the role of texts and writing within the practice of ancient Greek religion, and seeks to modify the common view that oral tradition provided most Greek ritual ...
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The main part of this chapter reviews the role of texts and writing within the practice of ancient Greek religion, and seeks to modify the common view that oral tradition provided most Greek ritual knowledge. True, most information from inscribed ‘sacred laws’ is administrative and financial: written information — which exists in quantity, especially with the so-called ‘calendars of sacrifices’ — tends to specify exceptions and innovations or to provide precise detail in response to unusual needs. Documentation from the Aegean (Kos) and Asia Minor (Miletos) is cited to illustrate the former, while inscriptions from Sicily (Selinous) and N. Africa (Kyrene) are quoted to show that rituals of purification could occasionally require ‘how to’ instructions.Less
The main part of this chapter reviews the role of texts and writing within the practice of ancient Greek religion, and seeks to modify the common view that oral tradition provided most Greek ritual knowledge. True, most information from inscribed ‘sacred laws’ is administrative and financial: written information — which exists in quantity, especially with the so-called ‘calendars of sacrifices’ — tends to specify exceptions and innovations or to provide precise detail in response to unusual needs. Documentation from the Aegean (Kos) and Asia Minor (Miletos) is cited to illustrate the former, while inscriptions from Sicily (Selinous) and N. Africa (Kyrene) are quoted to show that rituals of purification could occasionally require ‘how to’ instructions.
Jon D. Mikalson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199577835
- eISBN:
- 9780191723063
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199577835.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
A study of how ancient Greek philosophers described, interpreted, criticized, and utilized major components and concepts of the religion of the people of their time. The philosophers studied are ...
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A study of how ancient Greek philosophers described, interpreted, criticized, and utilized major components and concepts of the religion of the people of their time. The philosophers studied are primarily Sophocles, Plato, and Aristotle, with secondary emphasis on their predecessors and contemporaries such as Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Protagoras, and Democritus, and on the early Cynics Diogenes and Bion, the early Stoics Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus, and Epicurus. The major components of this practised religion are sacrifice, prayer, dedications, religious officials, and divination. The major concepts are piety and impiety, and by a thorough analysis of the philosophical texts a refined definition of Greek piety is offered, dividing it into its two constituent elements of ‘proper respect’ for the gods and ‘religious correctness’. It is found that in the Platonic tradition ‘religious correctness’ alone is treated as a ‘virtue’, and this leads to an investigation of the role of ‘religious correctness’ and its relationship to ‘justice’ in the ethical system of Plato. The book concludes with a demonstration of the benevolence of the gods in the philosophical tradition and links that to the expectation of the benevolence of the gods found in the popular religious tradition.Less
A study of how ancient Greek philosophers described, interpreted, criticized, and utilized major components and concepts of the religion of the people of their time. The philosophers studied are primarily Sophocles, Plato, and Aristotle, with secondary emphasis on their predecessors and contemporaries such as Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Protagoras, and Democritus, and on the early Cynics Diogenes and Bion, the early Stoics Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus, and Epicurus. The major components of this practised religion are sacrifice, prayer, dedications, religious officials, and divination. The major concepts are piety and impiety, and by a thorough analysis of the philosophical texts a refined definition of Greek piety is offered, dividing it into its two constituent elements of ‘proper respect’ for the gods and ‘religious correctness’. It is found that in the Platonic tradition ‘religious correctness’ alone is treated as a ‘virtue’, and this leads to an investigation of the role of ‘religious correctness’ and its relationship to ‘justice’ in the ethical system of Plato. The book concludes with a demonstration of the benevolence of the gods in the philosophical tradition and links that to the expectation of the benevolence of the gods found in the popular religious tradition.
Alan Scott
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263616
- eISBN:
- 9780191682612
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263616.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies, Philosophy of Religion
It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an ...
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It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an important position in Greek religion, and speculations on their nature figured prominently in discussions of human psychology and eschatology. In the 3rd century AD the influential Christian theologian Origen included Hellenistic theories on the life and nature of the stars in his cosmology. This marked an interesting episode in the history of the idea, but it also had important implications for early Christian theology. Although he was condemned as heretical for these (and other) speculations, he was successful in incorporating traditional philosophical theories about the stars into a biblical theology.Less
It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an important position in Greek religion, and speculations on their nature figured prominently in discussions of human psychology and eschatology. In the 3rd century AD the influential Christian theologian Origen included Hellenistic theories on the life and nature of the stars in his cosmology. This marked an interesting episode in the history of the idea, but it also had important implications for early Christian theology. Although he was condemned as heretical for these (and other) speculations, he was successful in incorporating traditional philosophical theories about the stars into a biblical theology.
ALAN SCOTT
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263616
- eISBN:
- 9780191682612
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263616.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies, Philosophy of Religion
Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few ...
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Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few Ionians had a profound philosophical and religious impact in their day. Plato recognized that their astronomical discoveries had been a source of intellectual and social chaos. The impact of this approach on subsequent Greek philosophy and religion was enormous, and lasted down to Origen's day. Origen's assessment of the stars' proper place in the world was complicated by his interest in traditions outside of the traditional Hellenistic schools. While agreeing with pagan thought that the stars had a significant impact on terrestrial life, he limited his influence to the regulation of the natural order. The modern age no longer believes that the stars have souls, but astronomical progress has not robbed them of their power.Less
Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few Ionians had a profound philosophical and religious impact in their day. Plato recognized that their astronomical discoveries had been a source of intellectual and social chaos. The impact of this approach on subsequent Greek philosophy and religion was enormous, and lasted down to Origen's day. Origen's assessment of the stars' proper place in the world was complicated by his interest in traditions outside of the traditional Hellenistic schools. While agreeing with pagan thought that the stars had a significant impact on terrestrial life, he limited his influence to the regulation of the natural order. The modern age no longer believes that the stars have souls, but astronomical progress has not robbed them of their power.
Will D. Desmond
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198839064
- eISBN:
- 9780191874925
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198839064.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Two-thirds of Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion are given over to ‘finite’ or pre-Christian religions, but surprisingly little attention has been paid to them. This is particularly ...
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Two-thirds of Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion are given over to ‘finite’ or pre-Christian religions, but surprisingly little attention has been paid to them. This is particularly surprising given the importance that he gives to the Greek ‘religion of beauty’ and Roman ‘religion of expediency’, for along with the Jewish ‘religion of sublimity’, they form the immediate historical precedents and preparation for Christianity, which Hegel’s teleological history accepts as the final, ‘true’, and ‘infinite’ religion. This chapter seeks to help to remedy the scholarly gap, not only by summarizing Hegel’s understanding of Greek and Roman religions in themselves, in relation to each other, to Christianity and previous ‘Oriental’ religions, and in relation to Hegel’s conception of religion as such. In addition, it seeks to juxtapose some of Hegel’s remarks with those of more recent scholars, to suggest that in general his approaches to Greek and Roman phenomena remain insightful. Although his strong judgments may offend many (for a variety of reasons), his comparative architectonic can be exhilarating: his juxtaposition of Greek anthropomorphism and the Christian Incarnation is challenging for Hellenists and Christian theologians; and his argument that Christianity is fundamentally a product of the Roman world, with Roman religion as its immediate predecessor, is a thought-provoking blend of Christian apologetics and proto-sociological historicism.Less
Two-thirds of Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion are given over to ‘finite’ or pre-Christian religions, but surprisingly little attention has been paid to them. This is particularly surprising given the importance that he gives to the Greek ‘religion of beauty’ and Roman ‘religion of expediency’, for along with the Jewish ‘religion of sublimity’, they form the immediate historical precedents and preparation for Christianity, which Hegel’s teleological history accepts as the final, ‘true’, and ‘infinite’ religion. This chapter seeks to help to remedy the scholarly gap, not only by summarizing Hegel’s understanding of Greek and Roman religions in themselves, in relation to each other, to Christianity and previous ‘Oriental’ religions, and in relation to Hegel’s conception of religion as such. In addition, it seeks to juxtapose some of Hegel’s remarks with those of more recent scholars, to suggest that in general his approaches to Greek and Roman phenomena remain insightful. Although his strong judgments may offend many (for a variety of reasons), his comparative architectonic can be exhilarating: his juxtaposition of Greek anthropomorphism and the Christian Incarnation is challenging for Hellenists and Christian theologians; and his argument that Christianity is fundamentally a product of the Roman world, with Roman religion as its immediate predecessor, is a thought-provoking blend of Christian apologetics and proto-sociological historicism.
Jeffrey A. Trumbower
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195140996
- eISBN:
- 9780199834747
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195140990.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The ...
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Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The archaeology of burial sites, epitaphs, other inscriptions, and textual sources are adduced as evidence for this purpose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of salvation after death in the Greek religious movement called Orphism, as well as in the Jewish texts 2 Maccabees and 4 Ezra.Less
Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The archaeology of burial sites, epitaphs, other inscriptions, and textual sources are adduced as evidence for this purpose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of salvation after death in the Greek religious movement called Orphism, as well as in the Jewish texts 2 Maccabees and 4 Ezra.
Joshua Billings
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691159232
- eISBN:
- 9781400852505
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691159232.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter traces the nexus of religion, philosophy, politics, and tragedy, concentrating on Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Hölderlin in their years after the Stift. The Tübingen Stift ...
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This chapter traces the nexus of religion, philosophy, politics, and tragedy, concentrating on Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Hölderlin in their years after the Stift. The Tübingen Stift was both a religious and a political institution, ensuring clerical orthodoxy while binding educated citizens to the rulers—an especially important role in an age of changing ideas of authority. Both Hegel and Hölderlin understand Greek tragedy through the lens of theology, and see Sophocles' works as the representation of a moment of transition within Greek religion. In broad terms, their theories differ from Schelling's and Schiller's in seeing Greek tragedy as a historical and progressive art form: tragedy does not just exist within temporality, but is itself a historical force, which reflects and contributes to changes in ancient Greek theology. Moreover, both conceive religion as a central element of social existence, and not as a sphere separated from political life.Less
This chapter traces the nexus of religion, philosophy, politics, and tragedy, concentrating on Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Hölderlin in their years after the Stift. The Tübingen Stift was both a religious and a political institution, ensuring clerical orthodoxy while binding educated citizens to the rulers—an especially important role in an age of changing ideas of authority. Both Hegel and Hölderlin understand Greek tragedy through the lens of theology, and see Sophocles' works as the representation of a moment of transition within Greek religion. In broad terms, their theories differ from Schelling's and Schiller's in seeing Greek tragedy as a historical and progressive art form: tragedy does not just exist within temporality, but is itself a historical force, which reflects and contributes to changes in ancient Greek theology. Moreover, both conceive religion as a central element of social existence, and not as a sphere separated from political life.
Thomas Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199253555
- eISBN:
- 9780191715112
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199253555.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, European History: BCE to 500CE
The Getae have a particularly cunning way of discovering the disposition of their god Salmoxis (4. 94. 3). They select a man by lot to send as messenger to Salmoxis; then, holding him by the hands ...
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The Getae have a particularly cunning way of discovering the disposition of their god Salmoxis (4. 94. 3). They select a man by lot to send as messenger to Salmoxis; then, holding him by the hands and feet, they swing him onto the points of three javelins. If he should die, the god is deemed to be favourable towards them; if the survives, he is said to be wicked and another man is tried. Similar mental tricks are used to justify and maintain Greek belief in divination. What is different about many of the beliefs and practices projected onto foreign peoples by the Greeks is that they are clearly unworkable. This story illustrates just how remote Herodotus—the ‘Father of the History of Religions’ as well as of History, Anthropology, and Lies—may be from the reality of foreign religious experiences. This chapter focuses on Greek religion as it is reflected in Herodotus' accounts of foreign peoples.Less
The Getae have a particularly cunning way of discovering the disposition of their god Salmoxis (4. 94. 3). They select a man by lot to send as messenger to Salmoxis; then, holding him by the hands and feet, they swing him onto the points of three javelins. If he should die, the god is deemed to be favourable towards them; if the survives, he is said to be wicked and another man is tried. Similar mental tricks are used to justify and maintain Greek belief in divination. What is different about many of the beliefs and practices projected onto foreign peoples by the Greeks is that they are clearly unworkable. This story illustrates just how remote Herodotus—the ‘Father of the History of Religions’ as well as of History, Anthropology, and Lies—may be from the reality of foreign religious experiences. This chapter focuses on Greek religion as it is reflected in Herodotus' accounts of foreign peoples.
Annabel Robinson
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199242337
- eISBN:
- 9780191714108
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242337.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This book traces both the personal and scholarly life of Jane Harrison (1850–1928), a scholar whose work on Greek art and the origins of religion broke new ground in English scholarship. After five ...
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This book traces both the personal and scholarly life of Jane Harrison (1850–1928), a scholar whose work on Greek art and the origins of religion broke new ground in English scholarship. After five years at Cambridge, where she was one of the first women students, she spent twenty years in London, lecturing on Greek art and travelling in Europe, studying archaeology in situ and in museums. During this time she lectured and published on Greek art and archaeology, her fluent command of languages equipping her to bring to the English public the latest Continental scholarship. Returning to Newnham College, Cambridge, at the age of fifty, she focussed her interest on Greek religion, breaking with tradition in preferring ‘primitive’ ritual over the classical Olympians and relying on intuition as much as reason. In collaboration with Gilbert Murray and Francis Cornford, a group known as ‘the Cambridge Ritualists’, she applied to Classics the latest discoveries of anthropology and emerging theories from the social sciences. She published numerous articles and books, pre-eminently Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion (1903) and Themis: A Study of the Social Origins of Greek Religion (1912). Her outspoken unorthodoxy and atheism earned her the reputation of being dangerous. It was her genius to set her research — essentially an investigation into the ‘real meaning’ of religion — within the wider context of human life, and her influence was felt far beyond the walls of academe.Less
This book traces both the personal and scholarly life of Jane Harrison (1850–1928), a scholar whose work on Greek art and the origins of religion broke new ground in English scholarship. After five years at Cambridge, where she was one of the first women students, she spent twenty years in London, lecturing on Greek art and travelling in Europe, studying archaeology in situ and in museums. During this time she lectured and published on Greek art and archaeology, her fluent command of languages equipping her to bring to the English public the latest Continental scholarship. Returning to Newnham College, Cambridge, at the age of fifty, she focussed her interest on Greek religion, breaking with tradition in preferring ‘primitive’ ritual over the classical Olympians and relying on intuition as much as reason. In collaboration with Gilbert Murray and Francis Cornford, a group known as ‘the Cambridge Ritualists’, she applied to Classics the latest discoveries of anthropology and emerging theories from the social sciences. She published numerous articles and books, pre-eminently Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion (1903) and Themis: A Study of the Social Origins of Greek Religion (1912). Her outspoken unorthodoxy and atheism earned her the reputation of being dangerous. It was her genius to set her research — essentially an investigation into the ‘real meaning’ of religion — within the wider context of human life, and her influence was felt far beyond the walls of academe.
Michael D. Konaris
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198737896
- eISBN:
- 9780191801426
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198737896.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This book examines major theories of interpretation of the Greek gods in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German and British scholarship, and their implications and influence with a primary, ...
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This book examines major theories of interpretation of the Greek gods in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German and British scholarship, and their implications and influence with a primary, though not exclusive, focus on Apollo. German and British scholars of the time drew on philology, archaeology, comparative mythology, anthropology, or sociology to advance radically different theories on the Greek gods. The book focuses on the theory of the Greek gods as gods of natural elements; its principal rival, the theory of K.O. Müller and his followers that the Greek gods had originally been tribal and universal gods; H. Usener’s theory of Sondergötter, as well as theories inspired by anthropology and sociology (Lang, Farnell, Harrison). The book situates the rival theories in their intellectual and cultural context, and explores their underlying assumptions and agendas. It lays particular stress on how the interpretation of the Greek gods was informed by confessional and national rivalries and on how it was implicated in broader contemporary debates in Germany and Britain—such as over the origins and nature of religion, or the relation between Western culture and the ‘Orient’. In addition, the book looks at the impact of these theories on the study of Greek religion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and draws implications about current debates and approaches.Less
This book examines major theories of interpretation of the Greek gods in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German and British scholarship, and their implications and influence with a primary, though not exclusive, focus on Apollo. German and British scholars of the time drew on philology, archaeology, comparative mythology, anthropology, or sociology to advance radically different theories on the Greek gods. The book focuses on the theory of the Greek gods as gods of natural elements; its principal rival, the theory of K.O. Müller and his followers that the Greek gods had originally been tribal and universal gods; H. Usener’s theory of Sondergötter, as well as theories inspired by anthropology and sociology (Lang, Farnell, Harrison). The book situates the rival theories in their intellectual and cultural context, and explores their underlying assumptions and agendas. It lays particular stress on how the interpretation of the Greek gods was informed by confessional and national rivalries and on how it was implicated in broader contemporary debates in Germany and Britain—such as over the origins and nature of religion, or the relation between Western culture and the ‘Orient’. In addition, the book looks at the impact of these theories on the study of Greek religion in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and draws implications about current debates and approaches.
Thomas Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199253555
- eISBN:
- 9780191715112
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199253555.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, European History: BCE to 500CE
Critics of Herodotus have generally shown unease in the face of the religious passages of the Histories, a sense that he ‘lets himself down’ by delving into matters irrelevant to the proper purpose ...
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Critics of Herodotus have generally shown unease in the face of the religious passages of the Histories, a sense that he ‘lets himself down’ by delving into matters irrelevant to the proper purpose of history. They have tended consequently to latch on to isolated instances of scepticism in an attempt to vindicate Herodotus from imagined charges of obscurantism. Historians of Greek religion, on the other hand, by their concentration on ritual as the central feature of Greek religious experience, have often neglected the value of literary sources as evidence of religious belief; indeed the term belief has become something of a dirty word. This book not only places Herodotus' religious beliefs at the centre of his conception of history, but by seeing instances of scepticism and of belief in relation to one another redresses the recent emphasis on the centrality of ritual, and paints a picture of Greek religion as a means for the explanation of events.Less
Critics of Herodotus have generally shown unease in the face of the religious passages of the Histories, a sense that he ‘lets himself down’ by delving into matters irrelevant to the proper purpose of history. They have tended consequently to latch on to isolated instances of scepticism in an attempt to vindicate Herodotus from imagined charges of obscurantism. Historians of Greek religion, on the other hand, by their concentration on ritual as the central feature of Greek religious experience, have often neglected the value of literary sources as evidence of religious belief; indeed the term belief has become something of a dirty word. This book not only places Herodotus' religious beliefs at the centre of his conception of history, but by seeing instances of scepticism and of belief in relation to one another redresses the recent emphasis on the centrality of ritual, and paints a picture of Greek religion as a means for the explanation of events.
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/9780199645787.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical, History of Art: pre-history, BCE to 500CE, ancient and classical, Byzantine
This chapter turns from physical stone stelai, and their replications in relief, to representations of similar monuments on vase paintings of the classical period. Although the images seen here ...
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This chapter turns from physical stone stelai, and their replications in relief, to representations of similar monuments on vase paintings of the classical period. Although the images seen here incorporate elements from ancient actuality, they are not direct reflections of lost realities; they are visual constructs that operate under the regime of pictorial representation. These depictions are statements in their own right that offer ancient testaments of the nature of aniconism conveyed visually rather than in texts, and are particularly instructive for understanding of the place of the aniconic in Greek religion and visual culture. These vase paintings present standing stelai that marked the presence of a divinity as liminal in their essence.Less
This chapter turns from physical stone stelai, and their replications in relief, to representations of similar monuments on vase paintings of the classical period. Although the images seen here incorporate elements from ancient actuality, they are not direct reflections of lost realities; they are visual constructs that operate under the regime of pictorial representation. These depictions are statements in their own right that offer ancient testaments of the nature of aniconism conveyed visually rather than in texts, and are particularly instructive for understanding of the place of the aniconic in Greek religion and visual culture. These vase paintings present standing stelai that marked the presence of a divinity as liminal in their essence.
Renaud Gagné and For Albert Henrichs
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198777366
- eISBN:
- 9780191823084
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198777366.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter examines how the historiography of Greek religion renewed itself between 1920 and 1950. This period invested a great deal of effort in the answers that could be sought from the ...
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This chapter examines how the historiography of Greek religion renewed itself between 1920 and 1950. This period invested a great deal of effort in the answers that could be sought from the celebrated old sources. As the former certainties were battered from all sides, the revered voices from the past often resonated with the intensity of a battle call for renewal. Greek religion, one of the most contested domains in the reception of ancient culture, was to be solicited again and again to help imagine a new future. The chapter then considers the great changes that saw the Belle Époque study of ancient religion thoroughly transformed after the Great War, and the stakes of some of the fundamental disagreements that set influential scholars of the Interwar years against each other. Ultimately, the battle for the Greek Irrational was a search for the new foundations of modernity.Less
This chapter examines how the historiography of Greek religion renewed itself between 1920 and 1950. This period invested a great deal of effort in the answers that could be sought from the celebrated old sources. As the former certainties were battered from all sides, the revered voices from the past often resonated with the intensity of a battle call for renewal. Greek religion, one of the most contested domains in the reception of ancient culture, was to be solicited again and again to help imagine a new future. The chapter then considers the great changes that saw the Belle Époque study of ancient religion thoroughly transformed after the Great War, and the stakes of some of the fundamental disagreements that set influential scholars of the Interwar years against each other. Ultimately, the battle for the Greek Irrational was a search for the new foundations of modernity.
Hugh Lloyd-Jones
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199279326
- eISBN:
- 9780191706882
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279326.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This collection of papers completes the published Academic Papers of Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, who has a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost classical scholars of his generation. It follows on ...
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This collection of papers completes the published Academic Papers of Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, who has a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost classical scholars of his generation. It follows on from the two volumes published in 1990, reflecting his exceptionally wide interests in the fields of Greek epic, lyric, tragedy, comedy, Hellenistic literature, religion, and intellectual history. It contains important and thought-provoking recent articles on Prometheus Bound, ritual and tragedy, Greek religion and modern ethics.Less
This collection of papers completes the published Academic Papers of Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, who has a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost classical scholars of his generation. It follows on from the two volumes published in 1990, reflecting his exceptionally wide interests in the fields of Greek epic, lyric, tragedy, comedy, Hellenistic literature, religion, and intellectual history. It contains important and thought-provoking recent articles on Prometheus Bound, ritual and tragedy, Greek religion and modern ethics.
Jon Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198829492
- eISBN:
- 9780191868030
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198829492.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Under the heading “The Religion of Beauty” Hegel treats the polytheism of ancient Greece. The Greek religion shares with Judaism the idea that the divine is a self-conscious entity, and thus both ...
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Under the heading “The Religion of Beauty” Hegel treats the polytheism of ancient Greece. The Greek religion shares with Judaism the idea that the divine is a self-conscious entity, and thus both represent religions of spirit. However, for Judaism, God was an object of thought and not of sense, and for this reason there were no images or representations of Jehovah. By contrast, it is, according to Hegel, one of the fundamental aspects of the Greek gods that they are represented in art. The analysis in Chapter 9 focuses on Hegel’s interpretation of how the Olympian gods arose out of an earlier generation of nature gods. This account is reflected in Greek mythology itself in the depiction of the war of the gods given in Hesiod. For Hegel, this represents clear evidence that the conception of the divine starts with natural deities and moves to gods of spirit.Less
Under the heading “The Religion of Beauty” Hegel treats the polytheism of ancient Greece. The Greek religion shares with Judaism the idea that the divine is a self-conscious entity, and thus both represent religions of spirit. However, for Judaism, God was an object of thought and not of sense, and for this reason there were no images or representations of Jehovah. By contrast, it is, according to Hegel, one of the fundamental aspects of the Greek gods that they are represented in art. The analysis in Chapter 9 focuses on Hegel’s interpretation of how the Olympian gods arose out of an earlier generation of nature gods. This account is reflected in Greek mythology itself in the depiction of the war of the gods given in Hesiod. For Hegel, this represents clear evidence that the conception of the divine starts with natural deities and moves to gods of spirit.
Barbara Kowalzig
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199219964
- eISBN:
- 9780191712968
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199219964.003.0009
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This chapter presents the argument of this book about a basic principle of Greek religion: ‘myth and ritual’ typically interact through performance, perhaps cannot even relate without a performative ...
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This chapter presents the argument of this book about a basic principle of Greek religion: ‘myth and ritual’ typically interact through performance, perhaps cannot even relate without a performative element. It explains that it is in choral performance that they become closely bound up with one another, and it is through choral performance that myth and ritual become socially effective, for it offers a medium for myth and ritual to come together. It explains that in order to establish the relationship between myth and ritual the workings of each must be taken into account; it is because of their shared strategies and purpose, geared towards correlating, or even merging, past and present, that they form such a powerful and productive ensemble.Less
This chapter presents the argument of this book about a basic principle of Greek religion: ‘myth and ritual’ typically interact through performance, perhaps cannot even relate without a performative element. It explains that it is in choral performance that they become closely bound up with one another, and it is through choral performance that myth and ritual become socially effective, for it offers a medium for myth and ritual to come together. It explains that in order to establish the relationship between myth and ritual the workings of each must be taken into account; it is because of their shared strategies and purpose, geared towards correlating, or even merging, past and present, that they form such a powerful and productive ensemble.