Birds in the ancient world : winged words / Jeremy Mynott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mynott, Jeremy, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Birds--History.

Birds.

Birds--Mythology.

Greece.

Rome (Empire).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (476 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Oxford, United Kingdom : Oxford University Press, 2018.

Summary:

"Birds pervaded the ancient world. The impressed their physical presence on the daily experience and imaginations of ordinary people in town and country alike, and figured prominently in literature and art. They also provided a fertile source of symbols and stories in their myths and folklore, and were central to the ancient rituals of augury and divination. Jeremy Mynott's Birds in the ancient world: winged words brings together all this rich and fascinating material for the modern reader"-- Inside dust jacket

Contents:

Preface

Acknowledgements

Notes for readers

List of illustrations

Timeline

Maps of the classical world in the first century AD

Part 1. Birds in the natural world. Introduction ; 1. The seasons ; 2. Weather ; 3. Time ; 4. Soundscapes

Part 2. Birds as a resource. Introduction ; 5. Hunting and fowling ; 6. Cooking and eating ; 7. Farming

Part 3. Living with birds. Introduction ; 8. Captivity and domestication ; 9. Sports and entertainments ; 10. Relationships and responsibilities

Part 4. Invention and discovery. Introduction ; 11. Wonders ; 12. Medicine ; 13. Observation and enquiry

Part 5. Thinking with birds. Introduction ; 14. Omens and auguries ; 15. Magic and metamorphosis ; 16. Signs and symbols

Part 6. Birds as intermediaries. Introduction ; 17. Fabulous creatures ; 18. Messengers and mediators ; 19. Mother Earth

20. Epilogue

Appendix: Some bird lists from ancient sources

Biographies of authors quoted.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-102271-3