Pindar and Greek Religion - Theologies of Mortality in the Victory Odes

"This book recontexualizes Pindar's victory songs within the lived religious landscapes of the fifth century in order to demonstrate their theological force. Focusing on a set of mythical figures whose identities blur the boundaries between mortality and immortality (Herakles, the Dioskouroi, Amphiaraos, and Asklepios), it offers a new interpretation of the value of immortality in the epinician corpus. It demonstrates that epinician depictions of gods and heroes activate a world in which both the immortality of the gods and the mortality of humans constitute real and meaningful modes of existence, and shows that Pindar manipulates the ambiguous position of his boundary-blurring figures in a way which reasserts the categorical distinction between them. Pindar's depiction of these figures depends on an engagement with the identity of each figure in the lived experiences of his audiences and results in a contribution to-or even an alteration of-those shared conceptions. Through a series of case studies, each devoted to close reading of a single victory song, the book demonstrates how Pindar's depictions of these "in-between" figures responds to and shapes contemporary religious experience and revalues mortality as a prerequisite for the glory found in victory"--

List of contents

1. Pindar mythologus and theologus; 2. Herakles looks back at the world; 3. The Dioskouroi in existential crisis; 4. Exaltation at Akragas: Herakles, the Dioskouroi, and Theron; 5. The isolation of Amphiaraos; 6. Asklepios and the limits of the possible; 7. An invitation.

About the author

Hanne Eisenfeld is Behrakis Assistant Professor of Hellenic Studies at Boston College.

Product details

• Authors: Hanne Eisenfeld, Hanne (Boston College Eisenfeld
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.07.2024
• EAN: 9781108926430
• ISBN: 978-1-108-92643-0
• No. of pages: 294
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Pre and early history; PHILOSOPHY / Religious, RELIGION / History, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, HISTORY / World, RELIGION / Philosophy, General & world history, History of Religion, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, General and world history, Philosophy of religion, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval