Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical"Greek Religion . . . already has the standing of a classic, and the publication of an English version, which incorporates new material and is in effect a second edition, demands a toast . . . Anyone who pretends to survey Greek religion must be phenomenally learned. Burkert is. His book is a marvel of professional scholarship." London Review of Books "This book has established itself as a masterpiece, packed with learning but also rich in ideas and connections of every sort. Its appearance in a good English translation is an event not only for Hellenists but for all those interested in the study of religion . . . nobody else could have produced an account of the subject of comparable range and power. This will be the best history of Greek religion for this generation." New York Review of Books Cover illustration: detail from an Attic vase, 450 B.C., showing a victory sacrifice (The Mansell Collection). |
Contents
lndoEuropean | |
Burial and the Cult of the Dead | |
Polis and Polytheism | |
Mysteries and Asceticism | |
Gift Offerings and Libation 3 Prayer | |
Purification | |
The Sanctuary | |
Priests | |
The Festival | |
Ecstasy and Divination | |
Ill The Gods 1 The Spell of Homer | |
Individual Gods | |
Bacchica and Orphica | |
Vll Philosophical Religion | |
Notes | |
The MinoanMycenaean Religion | |
The Dark Age and the Problem of Continuity | |
Animal Sacrifice | |
The Remainder of the Pantheon | |
The Special Character of Greek Anthropomorphism | |