The World Underfoot: Mosaics and Metaphor in the Greek Symposium

— —

Hallie M. Franks (Associate Professor of Ancient Studies, Associate Professor of Ancient Studies, New York University)

The World Underfoot

Mosaics and Metaphor in the Greek Symposium

Hallie M. Franks (Associate Professor of Ancient Studies, Associate Professor of Ancient Studies, New York University)

$264

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press Inc
01 August 2018

History of art: ancient & classical art; Ceramic arts, pottery, glass; History; Archaeology by period & region

In the Greek Classical period, the symposium--the social gathering at which male citizens gathered to drink wine and engage in conversation--was held in a room called the andron. From couches set up around the perimeter, symposiasts looked inward to the room's center, which often was decorated with a pebble mosaic floor. These mosaics provided visual treats for the guests, presenting them with images of mythological scenes, exotic flora, dangerous beasts, hunting parties, or the spectre of Dionysos: the god of wine, riding in his chariot or on the back of a panther. In The World Underfoot, Hallie M. Franks takes as her subject these mosaics and the context of their viewing. Relying on discourses in the sociology and anthropology of space, she presents an innovative new interpretation of the mosaic imagery as an active contributor to the symposium as a metaphorical experience. Franks argues that the images on mosaic floors, combined with the ritualized circling of the wine cup and the physiological reaction to wine during the symposium, would have called to mind other images, spaces, or experiences, and in doing so, prompted drinkers to reimagine the symposium as another kind of event--a nautical voyage, a journey to a foreign land, the circling heavens or a choral dance, or the luxury of an abundant past. Such spatial metaphors helped to forge the intimate bonds of friendship that are the ideal result of the symposium and that make up the political and social fabric of the Greek polis.

By: Hallie M. Franks (Associate Professor of Ancient Studies Associate Professor of Ancient Studies New York University)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 155mm, Width: 236mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 499g
ISBN: 9780190863166
ISBN 10: 0190863161
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 01 August 2018
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations Introduction Chapter 1. The Symposium, the Andron, the Mosaics Chapter 2. The Journey Out: Symposium at Sea Chapter 3. The Journey In: Dionysos the Traveler Chapter 4. The Journey Around: Turns and Turn-taking Chapter 5. The Journey Back: Symposia of the Past Conclusion References

Hallie M. Franks is Associate Professor of Ancient Studies at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the author of Hunters, Heroes, Kings: The Frieze of Tomb II at Vergina (2012).