Mystery Cults in the Ancient World - Hardcover

Bowden, Hugh

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0500251649 ISBN 13: 9780500251645

Verlag: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2010

Über diesen Titel

Críticas:

'As clear and well-informed an account as one could imagine. In a highly accessible way Hugh Bowden puts together the literary and material evidence. Well-paced and an attractive read' - Robin Osborne, Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge 'In the course of a wonderfully, and intelligently, illustrated 250 pages, Bowden debunks an impressive number of myths about ancient mystery religions' - Mary Beard, Times Literary Supplement

Reseña del editor:

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. They were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and much of what they were about has remained unclear until now.What participants did, and what they actually experienced, should be central to our understanding. This is the first book to describe and explain all the major mystery cults of the ancient world, cult by cult, reconstructing the rituals and exploring their origins. It makes plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy. Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs and the excavated sites of ancient religious sanctuaries all contribute to our understanding of ancient mystery cults. Making use of the most recent work on these cults, the book is also informed by crucial current work on the anthropology and cognitive science of religion. Richly illustrated and clearly written, it is a significant contribution to the study of these cults, but it is also accessible to a general readership. More than any other book on ancient religion, it allows the reader to understand what it was like to participate in these lifetransforming religious events.

Table of Contents

1. The Eleusinian Mysteries · 2. The Mysteries of the Kabeiroi and the Great Gods of Samothrace · 3. Other Mystery Sanctuaries in the Greek World · 4. The Mother of the Gods · 5. Dionysus · 6. Private Initiation 7. Words Written on Gold · 8. Isis · 9. Mithras · 10. End of the Mysteries

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0500251649
• ISBN 13: 9780500251645
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Anzahl der Seiten: 256