Honor Thy Gods

Popular Religion in Greek Tragedy

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Greece
Cover of the book Honor Thy Gods by Jon D. Mikalson, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jon D. Mikalson ISBN: 9781469617183
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: March 19, 2014
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Jon D. Mikalson
ISBN: 9781469617183
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: March 19, 2014
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In Honor Thy Gods Jon Mikalson uses the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides to explore popular religious beliefs and practices of Athenians in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. and examines how these playwrights portrayed, manipulated, and otherwise represented popular religion in their plays. He discusses the central role of honor in ancient Athenian piety and shows that the values of popular piety are not only reflected but also reaffirmed in tragedies.

Mikalson begins by examining what tragic characters and choruses have to say about the nature of the gods and their intervention in human affairs. Then, by tracing the fortunes of diverse characters -- among them Creon and Antigone, Ajax and Odysseus, Hippolytus, Pentheus, and even Athens and Troy -- he shows that in tragedy those who violate or challenge contemporary popular religious beliefs suffer, while those who support these beliefs are rewarded.

The beliefs considered in Mikalson's analysis include Athenians' views on matters regarding asylum, the roles of guests and hosts, oaths, the various forms of divination, health and healing, sacrifice, pollution, the religious responsibilities of parents, children, and citizens, homicide, the dead, and the afterlife. After summarizing the vairous forms of piety and impiety related to these beliefs found in the tragedies, Mikalson isolates "honoring the gods" as the fundamental concept of Greek piety. He concludes by describing the different relationships of the three tragedians to the religion of their time and their audience, arguing that the tragedies of Euripides most consistently support the values of popular religion.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Honor Thy Gods Jon Mikalson uses the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides to explore popular religious beliefs and practices of Athenians in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. and examines how these playwrights portrayed, manipulated, and otherwise represented popular religion in their plays. He discusses the central role of honor in ancient Athenian piety and shows that the values of popular piety are not only reflected but also reaffirmed in tragedies.

Mikalson begins by examining what tragic characters and choruses have to say about the nature of the gods and their intervention in human affairs. Then, by tracing the fortunes of diverse characters -- among them Creon and Antigone, Ajax and Odysseus, Hippolytus, Pentheus, and even Athens and Troy -- he shows that in tragedy those who violate or challenge contemporary popular religious beliefs suffer, while those who support these beliefs are rewarded.

The beliefs considered in Mikalson's analysis include Athenians' views on matters regarding asylum, the roles of guests and hosts, oaths, the various forms of divination, health and healing, sacrifice, pollution, the religious responsibilities of parents, children, and citizens, homicide, the dead, and the afterlife. After summarizing the vairous forms of piety and impiety related to these beliefs found in the tragedies, Mikalson isolates "honoring the gods" as the fundamental concept of Greek piety. He concludes by describing the different relationships of the three tragedians to the religion of their time and their audience, arguing that the tragedies of Euripides most consistently support the values of popular religion.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book America Is the Prison by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book The Sixties by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Declarations of Dependence by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book The Culture of Wilderness by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Pressed for All Time by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Johann Jacob Moser and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Petersburg to Appomattox by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Making Home Work by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Romancing God by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book From the Bullet to the Ballot by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Sovereign Entrepreneurs by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Southern Cultures by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book Books and the British Army in the Age of the American Revolution by Jon D. Mikalson
Cover of the book The Life of William Apess, Pequot by Jon D. Mikalson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy