Greeks And BarbariansEdinburgh University Press, 2019 M07 30 - 288 pages How did the Greeks view foreign peoples? This book considers what the Greeks thought of foreigners and their religions, cultures and politics, and what these beliefs and opinions reveal about the Greeks. The Greeks were occasionally intrigued by the customs and religions of the many different peoples with whom they came into contact; more often they were disdainful or dismissive, tending to regard non-Greeks as at best inferior, and at worst as candidates for conquest and enslavement. Facing up to this less attractive aspect of the classical tradition is vital, Thomas Harrison argues, to seeing both what the ancient world was really like and the full nature of its legacy in the modern. In this book he brings together outstanding European and American scholarship to show the difference and complexity of Greek representations of foreign peoples - or barbarians, as the Greeks called them - and how these representations changed over time.The book looks first at the main sources: the Histories of Herodotus, Greek tragedy, and Athenian art. Part II examines how the Greeks distinguished themselves from barbarians through myth, language and religion. Part III considers Greek representations of two different barbarian peoples - the allegedly decadent and effeminate Persians, and the Egyptians, proverbial for their religious wisdom. In part IV three chapters trace the development of the Greek-barbarian antithesis in later history: in nineteenth-century scholarship, in Byzantine and modern Greece, and in western intellectual history.Of the twelve chapters six are published in English for the first time. The editor has provided an extensive general introduction, as well as introductions to the parts. The book contains two maps, a guide to further reading and an intellectual chronology. All passages of ancient languages are translated, and difficult terms are explained. |
From inside the book
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Page v
... Euripides' Tragedies: The End of Differences? Suzanne Saïd; translated by Antonia Nevill 62 101 4 The Athenian Image of the Foreigner François Lissarrague; translated by Antonia Nevill part ii themes Introduction to Part II 127 5 When ...
... Euripides' Tragedies: The End of Differences? Suzanne Saïd; translated by Antonia Nevill 62 101 4 The Athenian Image of the Foreigner François Lissarrague; translated by Antonia Nevill part ii themes Introduction to Part II 127 5 When ...
Page xi
... Euripides Hypsipyle C&M Classica et Mediaevalia Cambridge Ancient History Classical Antiquity Classical Philology Classical Quarterly Classical Review Comptes-rendus de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Anthologia Lyrica ...
... Euripides Hypsipyle C&M Classica et Mediaevalia Cambridge Ancient History Classical Antiquity Classical Philology Classical Quarterly Classical Review Comptes-rendus de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Anthologia Lyrica ...
Page 5
... Euripides ascribed barbarian traits to the Greeks themselves.29 It is sometimes claimed also that the comic poet Aristophanes, writing in the same period, reserved real hostility for the Peloponnesians, while the Persians were the butt ...
... Euripides ascribed barbarian traits to the Greeks themselves.29 It is sometimes claimed also that the comic poet Aristophanes, writing in the same period, reserved real hostility for the Peloponnesians, while the Persians were the butt ...
Page 6
... Euripides' problematisation and refraction of the Greek–barbarian polarity; the use of Persia as a model of the ideal monarchy by Xenophon in the Cyropaedia;33 the identification (associated with Isocrates) of Greek identity with ...
... Euripides' problematisation and refraction of the Greek–barbarian polarity; the use of Persia as a model of the ideal monarchy by Xenophon in the Cyropaedia;33 the identification (associated with Isocrates) of Greek identity with ...
Page 8
... Euripides? Can we indeed be certain that Euripides did intend to undermine this antithesis? THE ORGANISATION OF THIS VOLUME The purpose of this volume is to survey as wide a range as possible of the Greeks' responses to foreign peoples ...
... Euripides? Can we indeed be certain that Euripides did intend to undermine this antithesis? THE ORGANISATION OF THIS VOLUME The purpose of this volume is to survey as wide a range as possible of the Greeks' responses to foreign peoples ...
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
PART II THEMES | 125 |
PART III PEOPLES | 187 |
PART IV OVERVIEWS | 229 |
Intellectual Chronology | 311 |
Guide to Further Reading | 313 |
Bibliography | 314 |
Index | 328 |
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Common terms and phrases
according Aeschylus ancient appears argument Asia Athenian Athens authors Barbarian become Cadmus called century classical common concept context contrast course culture customs dialect discussion divine early Egypt Egyptian empire especially ethnic Euripides evidence example existence fact fifth foreign further give gods Greece Greek Hall hand Hellenic Herodotus human idea identity important instance interest interpretation Isocrates Italy king land language later less linguistic matriarchy means mentioned myth nature never nomoi opposition oriental origin Paris particular period Persian Persian Wars Phoenician Plato play political possible present problem question reason refer regard relations religion Roman rule Scythians seems seen shows society sources speak speech story theory thought tradition tragedy turn University various whole women writing