Greek Religion and Society [Paperback]

This collection of essays ranges over many aspects of Greek civil life.This collection of essays considers many aspects of Greek civil life and reveals how religion manifested itself in institutions, art and literature. Clarifies the more puzzling and elusive elements by tracing the attitudes that lay behind the manifold cults and customs.This collection of essays considers many aspects of Greek civil life and reveals how religion manifested itself in institutions, art and literature. Clarifies the more puzzling and elusive elements by tracing the attitudes that lay behind the manifold cults and customs.Greek religion is a subject of absorbing interest, essential for the understanding of history and culture, but often puzzling and elusive. This collection of essays ranges over many aspects of Greek civil life, looking at the ways in which religion manifested itself in institutions, art and literature, and tracing the attitudes that lay behind the manifold cults and customs. It is not meant as an exhaustive introduction to the subject, but as a series of related approaches which will help students to draw the threads together, on lines suggested by Sir Moses Finley in his introduction to the book.List of illustrations; Preface; Foreword by Sir Moses Finley; 1. On making sense of Greek religion John Gould; 2. Greek poetry and Greek religion P. E. Easterling; 3. Early Greek views about life after death N. J. Richardson; 4. Greek temples: why and where? J. N. Coldstream; 5. The Greek religious festivals Paul Cartledge; 6. Delphi and divination Simon Price; 7. Greek art and religion Martin Robertson; 8. Religion and the new education: the challenge of the Sophists J. V. Muir; Notes; Notes for further reading; Index.