Literature and Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and BeliefsRecent reevaluations of Roman religion by ancient historians have stressed the vitality and creativity of the Romans' religious system throughout its long history of continual adaptation to new challenges. Capitalising on these insights, Denis Feeney argues that Roman literature was not an artificial or parasitic irrelevance in this context, but an important element of the dynamic religious culture, with its own status as another form of religious knowledge. Since Roman culture, both literary and religious, was so thoroughly Hellenised, the book also makes a case for a reconsideration of the traditional antitheses between Greek and Roman literature and religion, arguing against Hellenocentric prejudices and in favour of a more creative model of cultural interaction. |
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Literature and Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and Beliefs Denis Feeney No preview available - 1998 |
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activity addressed Aeneid aetiologies Alcaeus ancient Apollo archaic Augustus authentic Beard beginning belief Bona Dea Burkert Caesar Cairns Callimachus carmen carmen saeculare Catullus century Cicero civic cult context cultic culture deities dialogue Diana discourses discussion distinction divine dynamic Ennius Epicurus example exegesis Fasti Feeney forms goddess gods Graf Greece Greek and Roman Greek cult Greek myth Hellenistic Hercules Homer honoured Horace Horace's Horsfall human hymn Ilithyia images important interaction interpretation Jupiter and Juno kind knowledge Latin Latinists literary Lucretius ludi ludi saeculares meaning modern mythic mythopoesis nature original Ovid Ovid's particular performance personifications Plautus poem poet poetic poetry pompa pre-Hellenistic problem religious representation rite Roman cult Roman literature Roman religion Roman ritual Rome rustic sacrifice saeculare Scheid scholars self-conscious Sibylline oracle social society stanza statue temple texts Tibullus tion tradition Varro Venus Vesta Veyne Virgil word