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
Results 11-15 of 91
Page 12
... Persian court.63 It should be stated at the outset that the Greek representation of foreign peoples is driven by a ... Persians, for example64 – and to rely on a limited repertoire of stereotypes. Some ancient authors – notably Herodotus ...
... Persian court.63 It should be stated at the outset that the Greek representation of foreign peoples is driven by a ... Persians, for example64 – and to rely on a limited repertoire of stereotypes. Some ancient authors – notably Herodotus ...
Page 13
... Persia. Often though, as we will see later in discussing Persian women,67 there is a danger that this alchemy – the reuse of Greek texts for Persian history – is performed in too simplistic and convenient a fashion: facts that reflect ...
... Persia. Often though, as we will see later in discussing Persian women,67 there is a danger that this alchemy – the reuse of Greek texts for Persian history – is performed in too simplistic and convenient a fashion: facts that reflect ...
Page 14
... Persian history since the early 1980s,75 and an increasing concentration on Herodotus, his subtlety as a historian,76 and the affinity between his own broad conception of 'history' and that of modern historians. Two works in particular ...
... Persian history since the early 1980s,75 and an increasing concentration on Herodotus, his subtlety as a historian,76 and the affinity between his own broad conception of 'history' and that of modern historians. Two works in particular ...
Page 17
... Persian invasions'. See also Ch. 7 (Rudhardt), below. 3 See e.g. Gould, Herodotus; against Herodotus as liberal, see Harrison, 'Herodotus and the ancient Greek idea of rape'; for (foreign) women in Herodotus, see esp. Rosellini and Saïd ...
... Persian invasions'. See also Ch. 7 (Rudhardt), below. 3 See e.g. Gould, Herodotus; against Herodotus as liberal, see Harrison, 'Herodotus and the ancient Greek idea of rape'; for (foreign) women in Herodotus, see esp. Rosellini and Saïd ...
Page 18
... Persian king Artaxerxes, Ctesias of Cnidus.9 Much heat but little light has been produced by controversy over the actual extent of Herodotus' travels: Herodotus has been seen alternatively – and equally implausibly – as a pseudo ...
... Persian king Artaxerxes, Ctesias of Cnidus.9 Much heat but little light has been produced by controversy over the actual extent of Herodotus' travels: Herodotus has been seen alternatively – and equally implausibly – as a pseudo ...
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