The treatment of the war dead in archaic Athens : an ancestral custom / Cezary Kucewicz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kucewicz, Cezary, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Homer--Criticism and interpretation.

Homer.

War and society--Greece--Athens--History--To 1500.

War and society.

War casualties--Greece--Athens--History--To 1500.

War casualties.

Burial--Social aspects--Greece--Athens--History--To 1500.

Burial.

Funeral rites and ceremonies--Greece--Athens--History--To 1500.

Funeral rites and ceremonies.

Greece--Civilization $y To 146 B.C.

Greece.

Mythology, Greek.

War (History).

Classical Studies & Archaeology.

Ancient Culture and Society (Classical Studies).

Ancient Greek History (Classical Studies).

Local Subjects:

War (History).

Classical Studies & Archaeology.

Ancient Culture and Society (Classical Studies).

Ancient Greek History (Classical Studies).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 281 pages)

Place of Publication:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021.

System Details:

text file

HTML

Summary:

"Exploring the representations of the war dead in early Greek mythology, particularly the Homeric poems and the Epic Cycle, alongside iconographic images on black-figure pottery and the evidence of funerary monuments adorning the graves of early Athenian elites, this book provides much-needed insight into the customs associated with the war dead in Archaic Athens. It is demonstrated that this period had remarkably little in common with the much-celebrated institutions of the Classical era, standing in fact much closer to the hierarchical ideals enshrined in the epics of Homer and early mythology. While the public burial of the war dead in Classical Athens has traditionally been a subject of much scholarly interest, and the origins of the procedures described by Thucydides as patrios nomos are still a matter of some debate, far less attention has been devoted to the Athenian war dead of the preceding era. This book aims to redress the imbalance in modern scholarship and put the spotlight on the Athenian war dead of the Archaic period. In addition, the book deepens our understanding of the processes which led to the establishment of first public burials and the Classical customs of patrios nomos, shedding significant light on the military, cultural and social history of Archaic Athens. Challenging previous assumptions and bringing new material to the table, the book proposes a number of new ways to investigate a period where many 'ancestral customs' were thought to have their roots"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: The War Dead in Ancient Athens

The Homeric War Dead

The War Dead in the Greek Mythological Tradition

The War Dead in the Early Greek Iconographic Tradition

Ancestral Customs in the Classical City

War, State and Society in Archaic Athens

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-274) and index.

ISBN:

9781350151567

1350151564

9781350151550

1350151556

9781350151574

1350151572

OCLC:

1178870494