E-Book, Englisch, 294 Seiten
Reihe: Princeton Legacy Library
Steiner The Tyrant's Writ
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4008-7285-5
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Myths and Images of Writing in Ancient Greece
E-Book, Englisch, 294 Seiten
Reihe: Princeton Legacy Library
ISBN: 978-1-4008-7285-5
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Covering material as diverse as curse tablets, coins, tattoos, and legal decrees, Deborah Steiner explores the reception of writing in archaic and classical Greece. She moves beyond questions concerning ancient literacy and the origins of the Greek alphabet to examine representations of writing in the myths and imaginative literature of the period. Maintaining that the Greek alphabet was not seen purely as a means of transcribing and preserving the spoken word, the author investigates parallels between writing and other signifiers, such as omens, tokens, and talismans; the role of inscription in religious rites, including cursing, oath-taking, and dedication; and perceptions of how writing functioned both in autocracies and democracies.
Particularly innovative is the suggestion that fifth-century Greek historians and dramatists portrayed writing as an essential tool of tyrants, who not only issue written decrees but also "inscribe" human bodies with brands and cut up land with compasses and rules. The despotic overtones associated with writing inform discussion of its function in democracies. Although writing could promote equal justice, ancient sources also linked this activity with historical and mythical figures who opposed the populist regime. By examining this highly nuanced portrayal of writing, Steiner offers a new perspective on ancient views of written law and its role in fifth-century Athenian democracy.
Originally published in 1994.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Author's Note
Introduction 3
1 Tokens and Texts 10
Two models of communication 11
Phrazein and anagignoskein 16
Inscribed semata 29
The Hymn to Hermes and the Seven Against Thebes 40
2 Rites of Inscription 61
Oath taking, treaties, and the law 64
Cursing 71
Vows and prayers 75
Oracles 80
Enshrining the text: publication and circulation 86
Pindaric agalmata 91
3 Impressions and Assemblages 100
Writing and physiology 100
Writing and cosmology 116
Writing and regulation 122
4 The Tyranny of Writing 127
Two archetypes: Sesostris and Deioces 128
The inscribed marker: commemorative pillars, boundary stones, graves 132
The catalogue and inventory 142
The dispatch 149
Inscribing the body 154
Coins, seals, and trade 159
Writing in Greece 166
The Scythians and Spartans 174
5 The City of Words 186
Speech and the agora 187
The writer in the countryside 193
The writer oligarch in the city center 216
Nomoi gegrammenoi 227
Epilogue 242
Bibliography 253
Index of Principal Passages Cited 265
General Index 275
