Personification in the Greek World

From Antiquity to Byzantium

Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Personification in the Greek World by Judith Herrin, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Judith Herrin ISBN: 9781351911771
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Judith Herrin
ISBN: 9781351911771
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Personification, the anthropomorphic representation of any non-human thing, is a ubiquitous feature of ancient Greek literature and art. Natural phenomena (earth, sky, rivers), places (cities, countries), divisions of time (seasons, months, a lifetime), states of the body (health, sleep, death), emotions (love, envy, fear), and political concepts (victory, democracy, war) all appear in human, usually female, form. Some have only fleeting incarnations, others become widely-recognised figures, and others again became so firmly established as deities in the imagination of the community that they received elements of cult associated with the Olympian gods. Though often seen as a feature of the Hellenistic period, personifications can be found in literature, art and cult from the Archaic period onwards; with the development of the art of allegory in the Hellenistic period, they came to acquire more 'intellectual' overtones; the use of allegory as an interpretative tool then enabled personifications to survive the advent of Christianity, to remain familiar figures in the art and literature of Late Antiquity and beyond. The twenty-one papers presented here cover personification in Greek literature, art and religion from its pre-Homeric origins to the Byzantine period. Classical Athens features prominently, but other areas of both mainland Greece and the Greek East are well represented. Issues which come under discussion include: problems of identification and definition; the question of gender; the status of personifications in relation to the gods; the significance of personification as a literary device; the uses and meanings of personification in different visual media; personification as a means of articulating place, time and worldly power. The papers reflect the enormous range of contexts in which personification occurs, indicating the ubiquity of the phenomenon in the ancient Greek world.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Personification, the anthropomorphic representation of any non-human thing, is a ubiquitous feature of ancient Greek literature and art. Natural phenomena (earth, sky, rivers), places (cities, countries), divisions of time (seasons, months, a lifetime), states of the body (health, sleep, death), emotions (love, envy, fear), and political concepts (victory, democracy, war) all appear in human, usually female, form. Some have only fleeting incarnations, others become widely-recognised figures, and others again became so firmly established as deities in the imagination of the community that they received elements of cult associated with the Olympian gods. Though often seen as a feature of the Hellenistic period, personifications can be found in literature, art and cult from the Archaic period onwards; with the development of the art of allegory in the Hellenistic period, they came to acquire more 'intellectual' overtones; the use of allegory as an interpretative tool then enabled personifications to survive the advent of Christianity, to remain familiar figures in the art and literature of Late Antiquity and beyond. The twenty-one papers presented here cover personification in Greek literature, art and religion from its pre-Homeric origins to the Byzantine period. Classical Athens features prominently, but other areas of both mainland Greece and the Greek East are well represented. Issues which come under discussion include: problems of identification and definition; the question of gender; the status of personifications in relation to the gods; the significance of personification as a literary device; the uses and meanings of personification in different visual media; personification as a means of articulating place, time and worldly power. The papers reflect the enormous range of contexts in which personification occurs, indicating the ubiquity of the phenomenon in the ancient Greek world.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Theoretical Perspectives on Historians' Autobiographies by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Narrative Exchanges (Routledge Revivals) by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Group and Team Coaching by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book The Long Lives of Medieval Art and Architecture by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book The Archaeology of Slavery and Plantation Life by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Cultural Studies by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book The Teaching of Reading in Spanish to the Bilingual Student: La Enseñanza de la Lectura en Español Para El Estudiante Bilingüe by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book A History of Private Bill Legislation by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Homeless by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Civil Militia by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Behavioral, Humanistic-Existential, and Psychodynamic Approaches to Couples Counseling by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book British Military Intelligence in the Palestine Campaign, 1914-1918 by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Marino Sanudo Torsello, The Book of the Secrets of the Faithful of the Cross by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book Atypical Cognitive Deficits in Developmental Disorders by Judith Herrin
Cover of the book The Rise and Fall of the Garvey Movement in the Urban South, 1918-1942 by Judith Herrin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy