This handbook offers both students and teachers of ancient Greek religion a comprehensive overview of the current state of scholarship in the subject, from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods. It not only presents key information, but also explores the ways in which such information is gathered and the different approaches that have shaped the area. In doing so, the volume provides a crucial research and orientation tool for students of the ancient world, and also makes a vital contribution to the key debates surrounding the conceptualization of ancient Greek religion. The handbook's initial chapters lay out the key dimensions of ancient Greek religion, approaches to evidence, and the representations of myths. The following chapters discuss the continuities and differences between religious practices in different cultures, including Egypt, the Near East, the Black Sea, and Bactria and India. The range of contributions emphasizes the diversity of relationships between mortals and the supernatural - in all their manifestations, across, between, and beyond ancient Greek cultures - and draws attention to religious activities as dynamic, highlighting how they changed over time, place, and context.
Edited by:
Esther Eidinow,
Julia Kindt
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 246mm,
Width: 172mm,
Spine: 37mm
Weight: 1.468kg
ISBN: 9780198810179
ISBN 10: 0198810172
Series: Oxford Handbooks
Pages: 736
Publication Date: 19 October 2017
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Figures Abbreviations and Conventions List of Contributors IntroductionEsther Eidinow and Julia Kindt: Part 1: What is Ancient Greek Religion? 1: Robin Osborne: Unity vs. Diversity? 2: Tom Harrison: Belief vs. Practice? 3: Emily Kearns: Old vs. New? 4: Vinciane Pirenne Delforge and Gabriella Pironti: Many vs. One? Part 2: Types of Evidence 5: Milette Gaifman: Visual Evidence 6: Hannah Willey: Literary Evidence: Prose 7: Renaud Gagne: Literary Evidence: Poetry 8: Claire Taylor: Epigraphic Evidence 9: Caitlin E. Barrett: Material Evidence 10: David Martinez: Papyrology Part 3: Myths? Contexts and Representations 11: Richard Martin: Epic 12: Tanja Scheer: Art and Imagery 13: Claude Calame: Drama 14: Robert Fowler: History 15: Rick Benitez and Harold Tarrant: Philosophy Part 4: Where? 16: Mike Scott: Temples and Sanctuaries 17: Matt Dillon: Households, Families, and Women 18: Kostas Vlassopoulos: Religion in Communities 19: Christy Constantakopoulou: Regional Religious Groups, Amphictionies, and Other Leagues Part 5: How? 20: Mike Flower: Religious Expertise 21: Ralph Anderson: New Gods 22: Hugh Bowden: Impiety 23: Andrej Petrovic: 'Sacred Law' Part 6: Who? 24: Susan Deacy: Gods: Olympian or Chthonic 25: Carolina López-Ruiz: Gods: Origins 26: Gunnel Ekroth: Heroes: Living or Dead? 27: Emanuel Voutiras: Dead or Alive? 28: Giulia Sfameni Gasparro: Daimonic Power 29: Ivana Petrovic: Deification: Gods or Men? Part 7: What? 30: Henk Versnel: Prayer and Curse 31: Fred Naiden: Sacrifice 32: Sarah Iles Johnston: Oracles and Divination 33: Verity Platt: Epiphany 34: Fritz Graf: Healing Part 8: When? 35: Sarah Hitch: From Birth to Death: Life-changing Rituals 36: Jan-Matheiu Carbon: Ritual Cycles: Calendars and Festivals 37: Radcliffe Edmonds III: Imagining the After-Life Part 9: Beyond? 38: Gillian Shepherd: Magna Graecia (South Italy and Sicily) 39: Maya Muratov: The Northern Black Sea: The Case of the Bosporan Kingdom 40: Jan Bremmer: The Ancient Near East 41: Kathrin Kleibl: Greco-Egyptian Religion 42: Rachael Mairs: Bactria and India 43: Lisa Raphals: China and Greece: Comparisons and Insights Index
Esther Eidinow is Associate Professor in Ancient Greek History at the University of Nottingham. Julia Kindt is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney.
Reviews for The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion
[T]his handbook features a dazzling array of notable contributors, writing on subjects in which they are acknowledged experts. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is its recurrent emphasis on theoretical and methodological rigor. This will be an indispensable volume for students and specialists alike. * Jennifer Larson Religious Studies Review *
