Surveying funerary rites and attitudes toward death from the time of Homer to the fourth century B.C., Robert Garland seeks to show what the ordinary Greek felt about death and the dead. The Second Edition features a substantial new prefatory essay in which Garland addresses recent questions and debates about death and the early Greeks. The book also includes an updated Supplementary Bibliography. Praise for the first edition: "This [volume] contains a rich and remarkably complete collection of the abundant but scattered literary, artistic, and archaeological evidence on death in the ancient world as well as an extensive bibliography on the subject. Robert Garland conceives of death as a process, a rite of passage, a mutual but changing relationship between the deceased and [his or her] survivors. . . . A most useful collection of evidence, sensibly organized (no small feat) and lucidly presented. . . . A valuable source on the Greeks and on the always-lively subject of death."-American Historical Review "Much can be learned from this engaging survey of popular attitudes toward death, the dying, and the dead in Greece down to the end of the Classical period. . . . Appealing to scholars and the general audience."-Religious Studies Review
"In the extensive literature relating to ancient Greece, there is no work that serves the purposes of this volume. A Swedish proverb speaks of placing the church in the middle of the village, and that is precisely what Nilsson has here done. Homer and Hesiod formed the basis of the traditional education of the Greeks in general, and the great gods and goddesses as they appear in art show at all times the formative influence of the epic tradition. Nevertheless, the hard core of Greek religion is to be found in its observances: these took their shape among men whose focus was first the hearth and then the city-state, men moreover whose life and livelihood were tied to crops and herds and the annual cycle of nature."—Arthur Darby Nock, from the Foreword
Martin Nilsson writes about the popular religious observances of the Greeks, as practiced both earlier in the twentieth century and in classical times, the agricultural festivals and customs, the rituals of family and society. The folk religions of Greece that underlay and continually erupted into the more "elevated" Olympian mythology of Homer and Hesiod are explained in detail by a scholar with unparalleled understanding of the rites and customs of rural life.
Early Greek Myth is a much-needed handbook for scholars and others interested in the literary and artistic sources of archaic Greek myths—and the only one of its kind available in English. Timothy Gantz traces the development of each myth in narrative form and summarizes the written and visual evidence in which the specific details of the story appear.
Ancient Greece comes alive in this recreation of the daily lives of ordinary people—men and women, children and the elderly, slaves and foreigners, rich and poor. Taking account of the most up-to-date discoveries, the author provides a wealth of information on such varied facets of Greek life as food and drink, dress, housing, literacy, juvenile delinquency, the plight of the elderly, the treatment of slaves, and much more.
Readers can gain an in-depth understanding of what it was like to live in one of the greatest eras of human history. Garland provides answers to such questions as: What were the Ancient Greeks' attitudes toward foreigners? What was their life expectancy? How were women treated? Passages from ancient authors enhance the text of this indispensable reference work.
Gregory Vlastos (1907-1991) was one of the twentieth century's most influential scholars of ancient philosophy. Over a span of more than fifty years, he published essays and book reviews that established his place as a leading authority on early Greek philosophy. The two volumes that comprise Studies in Greek Philosophy include nearly forty contributions by this acknowledged master of the philosophical essay. Many of these pieces are now considered to be classics in the field. Perhaps more than any other modern scholar, Gregory Vlastos was responsible for raising standards of research, analysis, and exposition in classical philosophy to new levels of excellence. His essays have served as paradigms of scholarship for several generations. Available for the first time in a comprehensive collection, these contributions reveal the author's ability to combine the skills of a philosopher, philologist, and historian of ideas in addressing some of the most difficult problems of ancient philosophy. Volume I collects Vlastos's essays on Presocratic philosophy. Wide-ranging concept studies link Greek science, religion, and politics with philosophy. Individual studies illuminate the thought of major philosophers such as Heraclitus, Parmenides, Anaxagoras, and Democritus. A magisterial series of studies on Zeno of Elea reveals the author's power in source criticism and logical analysis. Volume II contains essays on the thought of Socrates, Plato, and later thinkers and essays dealing with ethical, social, and political issues as well as metaphysics, science, and the foundations of mathematics.
Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and felt like you were not alone? That’s because you weren’t! Forests, lakes, mountains, caves—even your garden—are alive with the spirits of nature. Faeries are real, and you can learn to commune with a whole world of unseen beings, including elves, devas, and nature spirits. With an open mind and a little patience, you can begin to recognize their presence all around you. This book will help you deepen your connection to the natural world as you explore the magical, mystical world of the faerie folk.
—Discover hidden truths in faerie tales and use them as
pathways into the faerie realm
—Learn the basic habitats, powers and behaviors of faeries, elves, and other nature spirits
—Read personal accounts of actual faerie encounters
—Invoke fire spirits for traditional psychic readings
—Share the magic and knowledge of twenty tree spirits
—Find the elementals—gnomes, undines, sylphs and salamanders—with which you resonate most
—Contact water sprites, mermaids and other water spirits
—Find wood nymphs and the “lady of the woods”
—Draw dragons into your environment with the right fragrances
—Attract a faerie godmother into your life
Recapture the magic and wonder of a world where trees still speak and every flower tells a story. Explore the faerie realm—a place where faerie tales can and do come true.
Early Greek Myth is a much-needed handbook for scholars and others interested in the literary and artistic sources of archaic Greek myths—and the only one of its kind available in English. Timothy Gantz traces the development of each myth in narrative form and summarizes the written and visual evidence in which the specific details of the story appear.
A striking portrait of one of the most fascinating women in Roman history
Noble and notorious, the flamboyant Clodia Metelli was the object of passion in poetry and prose in ancient Rome and appears in more written sources than any other woman of her day. Cicero, in a famous oration, branded her a whore yet in private correspondence mentions seeking her help. Her stormy affair with the poet Catullus—the Western world’s first recorded romance with a real and richly characterized woman—had a profound influence on erotic literature.
Bringing together works by Cicero, Catullus, and others in which Clodia plays a part, Julia Dyson Hejduk has produced a striking portrait of one of the most fascinating women in Roman history. Her accurate and accessible English translations include not only all the classical texts that mention Clodia, but also a substantial selection of Roman erotic poetry by Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid. While many sourcebooks offer only small illustrative excerpts, Clodia provides most sources in their entirety, such as the Pro Caelio of Cicero, nineteen complete letters, all of Catullus’s poems on “Lesbia” (his pseudonym for Clodia), and many subsequent love elegies.
Hejduk’s translations please the ear while remaining faithful to the original meaning. Her introduction reviews topics in classical culture and themes in Roman love poetry, placing the texts in their literary, social, and historical context and making them accessible to high school students and undergraduates. Notes, glossary, and bibliography make the book a well-rounded teaching tool.
A striking portrait of one of the most fascinating women in Roman history
Noble and notorious, the flamboyant Clodia Metelli was the object of passion in poetry and prose in ancient Rome and appears in more written sources than any other woman of her day. Cicero, in a famous oration, branded her a whore yet in private correspondence mentions seeking her help. Her stormy affair with the poet Catullus—the Western world’s first recorded romance with a real and richly characterized woman—had a profound influence on erotic literature.
Bringing together works by Cicero, Catullus, and others in which Clodia plays a part, Julia Dyson Hejduk has produced a striking portrait of one of the most fascinating women in Roman history. Her accurate and accessible English translations include not only all the classical texts that mention Clodia, but also a substantial selection of Roman erotic poetry by Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid. While many sourcebooks offer only small illustrative excerpts, Clodia provides most sources in their entirety, such as the Pro Caelio of Cicero, nineteen complete letters, all of Catullus’s poems on “Lesbia” (his pseudonym for Clodia), and many subsequent love elegies.
Hejduk’s translations please the ear while remaining faithful to the original meaning. Her introduction reviews topics in classical culture and themes in Roman love poetry, placing the texts in their literary, social, and historical context and making them accessible to high school students and undergraduates. Notes, glossary, and bibliography make the book a well-rounded teaching tool.
