Cattle of the Sun

Cows and Culture in the World of the Ancient Greeks

Inbunden, Engelska, 2010

809 kr

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Though Greece is traditionally seen as an agrarian society, cattle were essential to Greek communal life, through religious sacrifice and dietary consumption. Cattle were also pivotal in mythology: gods and heroes stole cattle, expected sacrifices of cattle, and punished those who failed to provide them. The Cattle of the Sun ranges over a wealth of sources, both textual and archaeological, to explore why these animals mattered to the Greeks, how they came to be a key element in Greek thought and behavior, and how the Greeks exploited the symbolic value of cattle as a way of structuring social and economic relations. Jeremy McInerney explains that cattle's importance began with domestication and pastoralism: cattle were nurtured, bred, killed, and eaten. Practically useful and symbolically potent, cattle became social capital to be exchanged, offered to the gods, or consumed collectively. This circulation of cattle wealth structured Greek society, since dedication to the gods, sacrifice, and feasting constituted the most basic institutions of Greek life.McInerney shows that cattle contributed to the growth of sanctuaries in the Greek city-states, as well as to changes in the economic practices of the Greeks, from the Iron Age through the classical period, as a monetized, market economy developed from an earlier economy of barter and exchange. Combining a broad theoretical approach with a careful reading of sources, The Cattle of the Sun illustrates the significant position that cattle held in the culture and experiences of the Greeks.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2010-05-30
Mått152 x 235 x 26 mm
Vikt652 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor360
FörlagPrinceton University Press
ISBN9780691140070

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Forntidens historia inom Historia och arkeologi

List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi A Note about Spellings and Translations xiii Abbreviations xv CHAPTER 1: Cattle Habits 1 CHAPTER 2: The Paradoxes of Pastoralism 21 CHAPTER 3: Cattle Systems in Bronze Age Greece 48 CHAPTER 4: Epic Consumption 74 CHAPTER 5: Heroes and Gods 97 CHAPTER 6: Gods, Cattle, and Space 123 CHAPTER 7: Sacred Economics 146 CHAPTER 8: Cities and Cattle Business 173 CHAPTER 9: Sacred Law 196 CHAPTER 10: Authority and Value 217 CHAPTER 11: Conclusions 241 Notes 253 Bibliography 293 Index 335

"[T]his book is well crafted and insightful. It should appeal to a relatively broad audience, across a variety of disciplines, sparking curiosity among many to engage in new theoretical ideas about antiquity and to consider ties among lines of evidence that they may not have considered before."--Michael MacKinnon, Canadian Journal of History "In sum, this is an excellent book in many regards. For understanding Greek religion and sanctuaries and the Greek economy, and as a contribution to the growing field of studies on animals in historical contexts, I think it should assume a central place... [I]t is ... a work of great value that contributes much to ancient Mediterranean studies."--Gary D. Farney, Journal Of World History "In yet another instance, Princeton University Press must be commended for making an important, powerfully argued book available at a very reasonable price... [T]his book must be a worthwhile accession to major college and university libraries, where all interested in the lately flourishing field of human-animal relations as well as antiquarians who study Greek religion and/or other early cultural-civic institutions and ancient economy may wish to consult it, if in fact they do not take advantage of its attractive price to acquire it for themselves."--Victor Castellani, European Legacy