Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient GreeksEsther Eidinow sets the published question tablets from the oracle at Dodona side by side with the binding-curse tablets from across the ancient Greek world, and explores what they can tell us about perceptions of and expressions of risk among ordinary Greek men and women, as well as the insights they afford into civic institutions and activities, and social dynamics. Eidinow follows the anthropologist Mary Douglas in defining `risk' as socially constructed, in contrast to most other ancient historians, who treat risk-management as a way of handling objective external dangers. The book includes a full catalogue of all published texts from Dodona, as well as the 159 curse tablets discussed, together with translations of all texts. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Exploring Uncertainty | 10 |
A Lapse into Unreason | 26 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aeschin agent ancient Greek appears argues asks Zeus Naios Athenian Athens Attika Attika Date Audollent 1904 BCE Wünsch 1897 century BCE Wünsch Charias Christidis concerned consultant context court cultural curse tablets Dakaris Delphi Demeter described Didyma divine Dodona evidence example Faraone fifth century BCE fourth century BCE Gager gods Greece Hermes Herodotos individuals inscription Karapanos 1878 katadesmoi Kerameikos Libanius litigants magic male mention Naios Naios and Dione names NGCT oracle oracular Origin Parke Pausanias Peiraeus Persephone phrase political presence of Hermes question relationship response risk role sanctuary seems SGDI Side slaves suggests supernatural targets third century BCE tongue underworld verb woman women workshop Zeus δὲ εἰ ἐν κα καὶ τὰ καὶ τὴν καταδῶ κὴ μὴ οἱ παρὰ περὶ πόδας τὰν τὰς τὸ τοῖς τὸν τοῦ τοὺς τῶι τῶν χεῖρας ψυχὴν