Kirjahaku

The paean, or sacred hymn to Apollo, had a central place in the song-dance culture of classical Greece. The most celebrated examples of the genre in antiquity were Pindar's paeans, which became known to scholars in this century thanks to the discovery of papyrus fragments, some published as recently as 1989. Long overdue, this book offers the first comprehensive re-evaluation of the poems. It includes a text and translation of all the paeans of Pindar, newly classified, with a supplement comprising fragments from poems of uncertain genres. Dr Rutherford accompanies each fragment with an interpretation dealing with issues of religion, performance, and genre. A two-part comprehensive introduction looks at general aspects of the genre, including early history, functions, performance, form, eidographic determinacy, use in Greek tragedy, and paeanic ambiguity - as well as offering an overview of the Pindaric paeans and their Hellenistic edition.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between literature and stylistic theory in the Antonine Age. The literature is the prose literature of the Second Sophistic and the stylistic theory is the so-called idea-theory set out in the Peri Ideon of Hermogenes of Tarsus, as well as two anonymous works: the Peri Politikou Logou and the Peri Aphelous Logou. The author discusses the relationship between idea-theory and sophistic declamation, the relative value attributed to prose and poetry, attitudes towards Xenophon and Demosthenes, and the reputation of Aelius Aristides. He concludes that the links between literary theory and literary practice are greater than previously imagined. A translation of the anonymous Peri Aphelous Logou (`On Plain Language') is included as an appendix. This has not previously been translated although it is the major source for the reception of Xenoephon in this period.

Our knowledge of ancient Greece has been transformed in the last century by an increased understanding of the cultures of the Ancient Near East. This is particularly true of ancient religion. This book looks at the relationship between the religious systems of Ancient Greece and the Hittites, who controlled Turkey in the Late Bronze Age (1400-1200 BC). The cuneiform texts preserved in the Hittite archives provide a particularly rich source for religious practice, detailing festivals, purification rituals, oracle-consultations, prayers, and myths of the Hittite state, as well as documenting the religious practice of neighbouring Anatolian states in which the Hittites took an interest. Hittite religion is thus more comprehensively documented than any other ancient religious tradition in the Near East, even Egypt. The Hittites are also known to have been in contact with Mycenaean Greece, known to them as Ahhiyawa. The book first sets out the evidence and provides a methodological paradigm for using comparative data. It then explores cases where there may have been contact or influence, such as in the case of scapegoat rituals or the Kumarbi-Cycle. Finally, it considers key aspects of religious practices shared by both systems, such as the pantheon, rituals of war, festivals, and animal sacrifice. The aim of such a comparison is to discover clues that may further our understanding of the deep history of religious practices and, when used in conjunction with historical data, illuminate the differences between cultures and reveal what is distinctive about each of them.

For at least a thousand years Greek cities took part in religious activities outside their territory by sending sacred delegates to represent them. The delegates are usually called theoroi, literally 'observers', and a delegation made up of theoroi, or the action of taking part in one, is called theoria. This is the first comprehensive study of theoroi and theoria. It examines a number of key functions of theoroi and explains who served in this role and what their activities are likely to have been, both on the journey and at the sanctuary. Other chapters discuss the diplomatic functions of theoroi, and what their activities tell us about the origins of the notion of Greek identity and about religious networks. Chapters are also devoted to the reception of the notion of theoria in Greek philosophy and literature. The book will be essential for all scholars and advanced students of ancient religion.

For at least a thousand years Greek cities took part in religious activities outside their territory by sending sacred delegates to represent them. The delegates are usually called theoroi, literally 'observers', and a delegation made up of theoroi, or the action of taking part in one, is called theoria. This is the first comprehensive study of theoroi and theoria. It examines a number of key functions of theoroi and explains who served in this role and what their activities are likely to have been, both on the journey and at the sanctuary. Other chapters discuss the diplomatic functions of theoroi, and what their activities tell us about the origins of the notion of Greek identity and about religious networks. Chapters are also devoted to the reception of the notion of theoria in Greek philosophy and literature. The book will be essential for all scholars and advanced students of ancient religion.