Polytheism and Society at Athens by Robert Parker

Polytheism and Society at Athens by Robert Parker

This book is the first attempt that has ever been made to give a comprehensive account of the religious life of ancient Athens. The city's many festivals are discussed in detail, with attention to recent anthropological theory; so too, for instance, are the cults of households and of smaller groups, the role of religious practice and argumentation in public life, the authority of priests, the activities of religious professionals such as seers and priestesses, magic, the place of theatrical representations of the gods within public attitudes to the divine. A long final section considers the sphere of activity of the various gods, and takes Athens as a uniquely detailed test case for the structuralist approach to polytheism. The work is a synchronic, thematically organized complement (though designed to be read independently) to the same author's Athenian Religion: A History (Oxford 1996).

..[this book] points the way to future developments in the study of both Athenian and Greek religion...an important contribution which certainly deserves its 2005 Criticos Award. * Julia L. Shear, Journal of Hellenic Studies *
...one of the best books I have read on ancient religion and one of the most useful. * James Davidson, London Review of Books *

Robert Parker is Wykeham Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780199216116
ISBN 10	0199216118
Title	Polytheism and Society at Athens
Author	Robert Parker
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2007-03-01
Number of pages	576
Prizes	Winner of Winner of the 2005 Criticos Prize.
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.