Helios Megistos: Zur Synkretistischen Theologie Der Spatantike: Zur Synkretistischen Theologie Der Spaetantike (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World): Zur Synkretistischen Theologie Der Spätantike: 125 - Hardcover

Fauth, Wolfgang

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9004101942 ISBN 13: 9789004101944

Publisher: Brill, 1995

Synopsis

Helios Megistos deals with conceptions of the Greek sun-god Helios in some selected works of late antique literature. The syncretistic picture is characterized by the heterogenous contours and polyvalent functions that were assigned to the god. The main part of the book presents Helios in the Orphic hymns, in the Greek-Egyptian Magical Papyri, in Neoplatonic philosophy and in the Dionysiac epic of Nonnos. The introduction gives a summary of the importance attached to Helios in the older Greek literary tradition, and the appendix contains a sketch of the roles attributed to Ancient Near Eastern sun-deities. Both sections shed light on the conditions that gave rise to the phenomenon of late antique sun theology. These texts, analysed for the first time from the point of view of that sun theology, rather than on the basis only of cultic or political data, extend and enrich our picture of a post-Christian sun religion that reflects strong classical and oriental influences.

About this title

About the Author:

Wolfgang Fauth, Dr.Phil. (1953) University of Gottingen, is Professor of classical philology at the University of Gottingen. He has published numerous articles on the classical and oriental history of religions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Brill
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 9004101942
• ISBN 13: 9789004101944
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304