The Origins Of Greek Religion

Nilsson's seminal work on Minoan-Myceanaean religion had its second edition in 1950 prior to the decipherment of Linear B; yet he found much in the archaeological record of the Bronze Age which he associated with later Greek religion. In that respect his insights were vindicated by the reading of those tablets which bore the names of classical Greek divinities, though at tme time new conclusions were needed about Indo-European arrival in Greek lands. Dietrich, with Nilsson very much in mind, starts from the premises that beliefs and their associated rites are inherently conservative; that, even where populations change, they tend to do so gradually, creating fusions rather than wholesale disruptions in ritual practice. An understanding of classical Greek religion thus, necessarily, depends on appreciation of its forerunners in the Bronze Age; and they, in turn, on evidence from the better documented religions of the Middle East. Dietrich's four main chapters deal first with those eastern links; then with the old traditions of Minoan Crete; next with the interplay of pre-Greek Minoan and Greek Mycenaean cultures; and finally he attempts to bridge the commonly assumed divide between bronze age and archaic Greece. Appendixes deal with Minoan peak-sanctuaries, with Apollo at Delphi, and (sympathetically) with Nilsson's pervasive view that Greek mythology was first formulated in the Mycenaean age. In these areas a great deal more work has been done since 1974. Dietrich's thoroughly researched work was at once trend-setting and provocative. It is here made available for the first time in paperback; for it still contains much of importance for the student of Greek religion.

Nilsson's seminal work on Minoan-Myceanaean religion had its second edition in 1950 prior to the decipherment of Linear B; yet he found much in the archaeological record of the Bronze Age which he associated with later Greek religion. In that respect his insights were vindicated by the reading of those tablets which bore the names of classical Greek divinities, though at tme time new conclusions were needed about Indo-European arrival in Greek lands. Dietrich, with Nilsson very much in mind, starts from the premises that beliefs and their associated rites are inherently conservative; that, even where populations change, they tend to do so gradually, creating fusions rather than wholesale disruptions in ritual practice. An understanding of classical Greek religion thus, necessarily, depends on appreciation of its forerunners in the Bronze Age; and they, in turn, on evidence from the better documented religions of the Middle East. Dietrich's four main chapters deal first with those eastern links; then with the old traditions of Minoan Crete; next with the interplay of pre-Greek Minoan and Greek Mycenaean cultures; and finally he attempts to bridge the commonly assumed divide between bronze age and archaic Greece. Appendixes deal with Minoan peak-sanctuaries, with Apollo at Delphi, and (sympathetically) with Nilsson's pervasive view that Greek mythology was first formulated in the Mycenaean age. In these areas a great deal more work has been done since 1974. Dietrich's thoroughly researched work was at once trend-setting and provocative. It is here made available for the first time in paperback; for it still contains much of importance for the student of Greek religion.

This handbook offers both students and teachers of ancient Greek religion a comprehensive overview of the current state of scholarship in the subject, from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods. It not only presents key information, but also explores the ways in which such information is gathered and the different approaches that have shaped the area. In doing so, the volume provides a crucial research and orientation tool for students of the ancient world, and also makes a vital contribution to the key debates surrounding the conceptualization of ancient Greek religion. The handbook's initial chapters lay out the key dimensions of ancient Greek religion, approaches to evidence, and the representations of myths. The following chapters discuss the continuities and differences between religious practices in different cultures, including Egypt, the Near East, the Black Sea, and Bactria and India. The range of contributions emphasizes the diversity of relationships between mortals and the supernatural - in all their manifestations, across, between, and beyond ancient Greek cultures - and draws attention to religious activities as dynamic, highlighting how they changed over time, place, and context.

A survey of the religious beliefs of ancient Greece covers sacrifices, libations, purification, gods, heroes, the priesthood, oracles, festivals, and the afterlife.

This book greatly enhances our knowledge of the interrelationship of Greek religion & culture and the Ancient Near East by offering important analyses of Greek myths, divinities and terms like a ~magica (TM) and 'paradise', but also of the Greek contribution to the Christian notion of atonement.

"Greek Religion . . . already has the standing of a classic, and the publication of an English version, which incorporates new material and is in effect a second edition, demands a toast . . . Anyone who pretends to survey Greek religion must be phenomenally learned. Burkert is. His book is a marvel of professional scholarship." London Review of Books "This book has established itself as a masterpiece, packed with learning but also rich in ideas and connections of every sort. Its appearance in a good English translation is an event not only for Hellenists but for all those interested in the study of religion . . . nobody else could have produced an account of the subject of comparable range and power. This will be the best history of Greek religion for this generation." New York Review of Books Cover illustration: detail from an Attic vase, 450 B.C., showing a victory sacrifice (The Mansell Collection).

A brief but highly informative book on Greek religion in the classical period.