Human Sacrifice in Ancient Greece

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History
Cover of the book Human Sacrifice in Ancient Greece by Dennis D. Hughes, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dennis D. Hughes ISBN: 9781134966387
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: January 11, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Dennis D. Hughes
ISBN: 9781134966387
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: January 11, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Numerous ancient texts describe human sacrifices and other forms of ritual killing: in 480 BC Themistocles sacrifices three Persian captives to Dionysus; human scapegoats called pharmakoi are expelled yearly from Greek cities, and according to some authors they are killed; Locrin girls are hunted down and slain by the Trojans; on Mt Lykaion children are sacrificed and consumed by the worshippers; and many other texts report human sacrifices performed regularly in the cult of the gods or during emergencies such as war and plague. Archaeologists have frequently proposed human sacrifice as an explanation for their discoveries: from Minoan Crete children's bones with knife-cut marks, the skeleton of a youth lying on a platform with a bronze blade resting on his chest, skeletons, sometimes bound, in the dromoi of Mycenaean and Cypriot chamber tombs; and dual man-woman burials, where it is suggested that the woman was slain or took her own life at the man's funeral. If the archaeologists' interpretations and the claims in the ancient sources are accepted, they present a bloody and violent picture of the religious life of the ancient Greeks, from the Bronze Age well into historical times. But the author expresses caution. In many cases alternative, if less sensational, explanations of the archaeological are possible; and it can often be shown that human sacrifices in the literary texts are mythical or that late authors confused mythical details with actual practices.Whether the evidence is accepted or not, this study offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious thought of the ancient Greeks and into changing modern conceptions of their religious behaviour.

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

Numerous ancient texts describe human sacrifices and other forms of ritual killing: in 480 BC Themistocles sacrifices three Persian captives to Dionysus; human scapegoats called pharmakoi are expelled yearly from Greek cities, and according to some authors they are killed; Locrin girls are hunted down and slain by the Trojans; on Mt Lykaion children are sacrificed and consumed by the worshippers; and many other texts report human sacrifices performed regularly in the cult of the gods or during emergencies such as war and plague. Archaeologists have frequently proposed human sacrifice as an explanation for their discoveries: from Minoan Crete children's bones with knife-cut marks, the skeleton of a youth lying on a platform with a bronze blade resting on his chest, skeletons, sometimes bound, in the dromoi of Mycenaean and Cypriot chamber tombs; and dual man-woman burials, where it is suggested that the woman was slain or took her own life at the man's funeral. If the archaeologists' interpretations and the claims in the ancient sources are accepted, they present a bloody and violent picture of the religious life of the ancient Greeks, from the Bronze Age well into historical times. But the author expresses caution. In many cases alternative, if less sensational, explanations of the archaeological are possible; and it can often be shown that human sacrifices in the literary texts are mythical or that late authors confused mythical details with actual practices.Whether the evidence is accepted or not, this study offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious thought of the ancient Greeks and into changing modern conceptions of their religious behaviour.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Exploring Medical Anthropology by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Naguib Mahfouz by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Challenges of Multicultural Education by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Together by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Institutional and Social Innovation for Sustainable Urban Development by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Social Foundations of Markets, Money and Credit by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book China and Africa Development Relations by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book The Interview by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book The Tyranny of the Majority by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Divine Power and Evil by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book The Drums of Affliction by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Fetishism, Psychoanalysis, and Philosophy by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Haunted Serbia by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Public-Private Partnerships in the USA by Dennis D. Hughes
Cover of the book Screening America by Dennis D. Hughes
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