Pindar and the Cult of Heroes

Erscheinungsjahr 2005
ISBN: 978-0-19-927724-7
Verlag: OUP Oxford

Buch, Englisch, 504 Seiten, Format (B × H): 145 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 836 g

Pindar and the Cult of Heroes combines a study of Greek culture and religion (hero cult) with a literary-critical study of Pindar's epinician poetry. It looks at hero cult generally, but focuses especially on heroization in the 5th century BC. There are individual chapters on the heroization of war dead, of athletes, and on the religious treatment of the living in the 5th century. Hero cult, Bruno Currie argues, could be anticipated, in different ways, in a person's lifetime. Epinician poetry too should be interpreted in the light of this cultural context; fundamentally, this genre explores the patron's religious status. The book features extensive studies of Pindar's Pythians 2, 3, 5, Isthmian 7, and Nemean 7.

Zielgruppe

Scholars and students of Greek and Latin literature, ancient history, classical civilization.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Currie, Bruno

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte Religionen der Antike

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- 1: Introduction

- I. Some Themes in Hero Cult: Homer and Pindar

- 2: Views of Death

- 3: Mortality and Immortality

- 4: Hero Cult

- 5: Uses of the word `heros'

- 6: Immortality in renown: Kleos

- II. Heroization in the Fifth Century BC

- 7: Heroization of the War Dead

- 8: Heroization of Athletes

- 9: Theios aner: Religious Attitudes to the Living in the Fifth Century

- III. Five Odes of Pindar

- 10: Isthmian 7: Pankration victor and the war dead

- 11: Pythian 5: The king and his royal forebears

- 12: Pythian 2: Locrian saviour and Cyprian hero

- 13: Nemean 7: Boy pentathlete and Delphian hero

- 14: Pythian 3: Fire and immortality

- 15: Epilogue

Über Autor(innen)

Bruno Currie is Fellow and Tutor in Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, Oriel College, Oxford University.