Synopsis:
The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion offers a fully rounded (and highly authoritative) point of access to all aspects of ancient religious life and thought. Dr Simon Price and Dr Emily Kearns, area advisers for the third edition of The Oxford Classical Dictionary, have come together to select, revise, edit, and in some cases wholly recast, a large number of key entries from OCD to create this handy, accessible reference work on mythology and religion in the Graeco-Roman world. Bringing to the attention of a wider audience the authority and scholarly rigour of OCD, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion provides students, teachers, and general readers with an affordable comprehensive, and wide-ranging A-Z reference source. The Dictionary is unique in that in addition to Greek myths and Roman festivals it covers Greek and Roman religious places, monuments, religious personnel, divination, astrology, magic, and it also contains many entries on Judaism and Christianity in Greek and Roman times. A-Z entries include: AUTHORS General: Aeschylus, Aesop, Cicero, Euripides, Homer, Ovid, Pindar, Virgil Christian: Ambrose, Cassian, Irenaeus, Jerome, Origen, Tatian Jewish: Ezechiel, Jason, Philon Mythographers: Apollodorus, Hesiod, Palaephatus Philosophers: Anaxagoras, Aristotle, Epicurus, Plato, Socrates, Xenophanes TEXTS General: Acts of the Pagan Martyrs, epic, fable, libri pontificales, tragedy Christian: Epistle to Diognetus Jewish: Dead Sea Scrolls, Mishnah, Talmud CHRISTIANITY General: Acts of the Apostles, Clement of Rome, Gnosticism, martyrs, Priscillianists, Vulgate GODS AND HEROES General: angels, epiphany, river gods, wind-gods Anatolian: Men, Sandas Egyptian: Apis, Isis, Ptah Etruscan: Nortia, Voltumna Greek: Aesepus, Alastor, Apollo, Chloe, Demeter, Eros, Hebe, Iacchus, Nemesis, Pan, Phanes, Themis, Zeus Mesopotamian: Ishtar Persian: Anahita, Zoroaster Roman: Anna Perenna, Bona Dea, Concordia, Diana, Flora, Hercules, Janus, Libertas, Neptunus, Ops, Pax, Rumina, Sol, Tellus, Victoria Syrian: Jupiter Dolichenus HEROES Greek: Oebalus, Phytalus IDEAS Religious concepts: Aither, asceticism, atheism, chastity, eunomia, fasting, fate, invulnerability, monotheism, pneuma, sin, soul Death: catacombs, cemeteries, Hades, imagines, Thanatos Philosophy: Neoplatonism, Peripatetic school, Stoicism IMAGERY Iconography: attitudes to art, pottery, Greek sculpture, Roman sculpture JUDAISM apocalyptic literature, Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish-Greek literature, Maccabees, rabbis, synagogue, Zealots LOCAL AND REGIONAL RELIGIONS Includes: Anatolian, Arcadian, Argive, Attic, Boeotian, British, Celtic, Corinthian, Cretan, Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Italic, Macedonian, Magna Graecia, Mesopotamian, Messenian, Minoan and Mycenaean, Mycenae, Oriental, Persian, Phoenician, Phrygian, Rhodian, Roman, Scythian, Sicilian, Spartan, Theban, Thracian, Trojan MAGIC amulets, curses, iynx, pharmacology, theurgy MYTHS General: genealogy, golden age, nymphs Etruscan: Tages Greek: Acarnan, Aganippe, Baucis, Callisto, Calypso, Codrus, Daphnis, Echidna, Erysichthon, Ganymedes, Hector, Hermione, Iapetus, Laomedon, Marsyas, Molossus, Odysseus, Palladium, Paris, Penelope, Phoebe, Salmoneus, sphinx, Telephus, Tityus, Xuthos Roman: Aeneas, Dido, Mezentius, Tarpeia, Verginia ORGANIZATION Religious groups: amphictiony, collegium, orgeones, thiasos Religious officials: archontes, Divitiacus, heralds, temple officials Greek religious officials: Diotima, exegetes, kanephoroi, Polyeidus Roman religious officials: aedituus, Flamines, haruspices, Salii Social organization: children, genos, patricians, phratries PEOPLE Historical: Apollonius of Tyana, Augustus, Decius, Herod the Great, Maccabees, Melito, Polycarp, Symmachus, Thrasyllus PLACES General: Achelous, Alpheus, Argos, Claros, Cythera, Delphi, Dodona, Eryx, Helicon, Ithaca, Masada, Pelion, Styx, Thermum Mythological: Arimaspeans, Eridanus, Symplegades, Tartarus Religious: churches, forum, Greek houses, Isthmia, Mona, mundus, Olympia, Palici, Phidias, sanctuaries, stoa, templum Athens: Dipylon, Parthenon Attica: Brauron, Colonos, is, Sunium Italy: Alba Longa, Ardea, Lavinium, Pyrgi Rome: Ara Pacis, Atrium Vestae, Palatine, Pantheon, Tiber, Vatican RITUALS Divination: Albunea, Bacis, Claros, Dodona, eclipses, oracles, portents, Siwa, Trophonius FESTIVALS General: athletics, dancing, pantomime, wrestling Greek: Apaturia, Carnea, Dorian festivals, Isthmian Games, Olympian Games, tragedy Roman: Equirria, Fornacalia, Ludi, Parentalia, Secular Games Religious objects: cakes, fig, fire, honey, ivory, lead, olive, relics, water Rites: ritual, birthday, cookery, gestures, marriage ceremonies, menstruation, milk, oaths, prayer, transvestism, travel, wine Greek rites: aparche, first-fruits, maschalismos, Paean, sacrifice, tithe Roman rituals: apex, consecratio, epulum, lustration, triumph TIME apophrades, fasti, time-reckoning There are many extra features in this volume: a substantive introduction on the study of the religious history of antiquity, which includes an annotated bibliography; key texts flagged at the end of individual entries; three maps; and five genealogical tables.
Review:
This is a perfectly judged reference book: equally good for desk-top or bedside, combining scholarship for the specialist, concision for the student, readability for the enthusiast and fun for the browser ... The brilliant introduction sets just the right tone of learning lightly borne: thoughtful and theoretically informed, but brisk, practical, insightful and comprehensive. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Professorial Fellow in History and Geography, Queen Mary, University of London
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