Silence in the Land of Logos / Silvia Montiglio.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Montiglio, Silvia, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Greece--Civilization.

Greek literature--History and criticism.

Literature and anthropology--Greece.

Literature and society--Greece.

Silence in literature.

Silence.

Local Subjects:

Greece--Civilization.

Greek literature--History and criticism.

Literature and anthropology--Greece.

Literature and society--Greece.

Silence in literature.

Silence.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (327 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2010]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In ancient Greece, the spoken word connoted power, whether in the free speech accorded to citizens or in the voice of the poet, whose song was thought to know no earthly bounds. But how did silence fit into the mental framework of a society that valued speech so highly? Here Silvia Montiglio provides the first comprehensive investigation into silence as a distinctive and meaningful phenomenon in archaic and classical Greece. Arguing that the notion of silence is not a universal given but is rather situated in a complex network of associations and values, Montiglio seeks to establish general principles for understanding silence through analyses of cultural practices, including religion, literature, and law. Unlike the silence of a Christian before an ineffable God, which signifies the uselessness of words, silence in Greek religion paradoxically expresses the power of logos--for example, during prayer and sacrifice, it serves as a shield against words that could offend the gods. Montiglio goes on to explore silence in the world of the epic hero, where words are equated with action and their absence signals paralysis or tension in power relationships. Her other examples include oratory, a practice in which citizens must balance their words with silence in very complex ways in order to show that they do not abuse their right to speak. Inquiries into lyric poetry, drama, medical writings, and historiography round out this unprecedented study, revealing silence as a force in its own right.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

A Note on Sources

SILENCE IN THE LAND OF LOGOS

Introduction

Chapter One. Religious Silence without an Ineffable God

Chapter Two. A Silent Body in a Sonorous World: Silence and Heroic Values in the Iliad

Chapter Three. The Poet's Voice against Silence

Chapter Four. "I Will Be Silent": Figures of Silence and Representations of Speaking in Athenian Oratory

Chapter Five. Words Staging Silence

Chapter Six. Silence and Tragic Destiny

Chapter Seven. Silence, a Herald of Death

Chapter Eight. Silence, Ruse, and Endurance: Odysseus and Beyond

Conclusion

Select Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

ISBN:

9786612767142

9781400805532

1400805538

9781282767140

1282767143

9781400823765

1400823765

OCLC:

699474633