Coping with the Gods: Wayward Readings in Greek Theology

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Contents......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 12
Introduction......Page 16
1. Order versus Chaos......Page 38
1. The Greek pantheon: kosmos or chaos?......Page 41
1. In search of identities......Page 52
2. Names and surnames: one god or many?......Page 75
1. “The gods who dwell in our city”......Page 103
2. Beyond the polis border (and back)......Page 117
3. Ducking out: gods in personal religiosity......Page 134
4. Conclusions......Page 157
1. Controversial diction in archaic poetry......Page 166
2. Modern Voices......Page 175
2. Homer......Page 178
1. Two tales, many perspectives......Page 194
2. Modern voices: fear of diversity......Page 202
4. Saving the Author......Page 205
5. Solon Again......Page 216
6. Once More: Chaos or Order?......Page 227
1. Paratactic multiplicity......Page 228
2. ‘Gnomologisches Wissen’......Page 233
3. The rehabilitation of parataxis......Page 241
4. Thinking in gnomai—speaking in parataxis......Page 244
7. Putting to the Test: Hesiod......Page 246
8. Envoy......Page 249
1. Introduction......Page 254
2. One and Many: The God(s) of Xenophanes......Page 259
1. One or many?......Page 263
2. One and Many......Page 271
3. Concluding remarks......Page 281
1. On singular plurals......Page 283
2. Concluding remarks......Page 293
1. Praising the god......Page 295
2. Aretalogy......Page 298
3. Nine characteristics of henotheistic religion......Page 304
4. The nature of oneness in henotheistic religion......Page 311
5. Questions of origin......Page 316
6. Concluding remarks......Page 318
5. Conclusion......Page 319
1. Hungry Hermes and Greedy Interpreters......Page 324
2. Hermes: The Human God in the Hymn......Page 334
3. Hermes: The Eternal Dupe in the Fable......Page 342
1. Burlesques......Page 344
2. Paying a social call......Page 347
4. Hermes: The Present God in Visual Art......Page 350
1. Socializing......Page 352
2. More burlesques......Page 358
Herms and sacrifice......Page 363
5. Hungry Hermes: The Sacrificial Meal......Page 367
1. “The warm splanchna which I used to gobble up”......Page 368
2. “The titbits Hermes likes to eat”......Page 379
3. “Companion of the feast” (δαιτὸς ἑταίρε)......Page 382
6. Conclusion......Page 385
1. Self......Page 394
2. Other......Page 399
3. Self and other......Page 400
4. Gods: Self and other......Page 403
5. Some inferences......Page 406
2. God: Powerful or All-Powerful?......Page 411
3. Miracles in Double Perspective: The Case of Asklepios......Page 415
4. God: Powerful and All-Powerful......Page 437
1. Omnipotence, ancient philosophers and modern theologians......Page 442
2. Inconsistency in religious expression......Page 446
5. Conclusions......Page 451
1. A swollen-headed doctor: the case of Menekrates......Page 454
2. A charismatic prince: the case of Demetrios Poliorketes......Page 459
2. Modern Perplexities......Page 471
1. Language......Page 475
2. Performance......Page 478
4. Did (the) Greeks believe in the Divinity of their Rulers?......Page 480
5. Ritual Play: Sincere Hypocrisy......Page 485
6. Birds into Gods: Comic Theopoetics......Page 495
7. Making a God: A Multiple Perspective Approach......Page 500
Epilogue......Page 508
Appendices......Page 514
1. All the Gods......Page 516
2. The Twelve Gods......Page 522
Appendix Two Unity or Diversity—One God or Many? A Modern Debate......Page 532
Appendix Three Drive Towards Coherence in Two Herodotus-Studies......Page 542
Appendix Four Did the Greeks Believe in their Gods?......Page 554
Bibliography......Page 576
Index of Passages Cited......Page 592
Greek Words......Page 599
General Index......Page 602