In this Book

summary
Civic Rites explores the religious origins of Western democracy by examining the government of fifth-century BCE Athens in the larger context of ancient Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Deftly combining history, politics, and religion to weave together stories of democracy’s first leaders and critics, Nancy Evans gives readers a contemporary’s perspective on Athenian society. She vividly depicts the physical environment and the ancestral rituals that nourished the people of the earliest democratic state, demonstrating how religious concerns were embedded in Athenian governmental processes. The book’s lucid portrayals of the best-known Athenian festivals—honoring Athena, Demeter, and Dionysus—offer a balanced view of Athenian ritual and illustrate the range of such customs in fifth-century Athens.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
  2. p. 1
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  1. Title Page, Copyright Page
  2. pp. 2-9
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. ix-x
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  1. List of Illustrations
  2. pp. xi-xii
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. xiii-xvi
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  1. Maps
  2. pp. xvii-xx
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  1. Introduction: The City of Pericles and Socrates
  2. pp. 1-11
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  1. One Cleisthenes: The Family Curse behind Athenian Democracy
  2. pp. 12-34
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  1. Two Athena: Religion and the Democratic Polis
  2. pp. 35-62
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  1. Three Pericles: Empire and War in the City of Athena
  2. pp. 63-99
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  1. Four Demeter: Civic Worship, Women’s Rites, and the Eleusinian Mysteries
  2. pp. 100-130
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  1. Five Alcibiades: Politics, Religion, and the Cult of Personality
  2. pp. 131-169
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  1. Six Dionysus: Civic Rituals of Wine, Theater, and Transformation
  2. pp. 170-207
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  1. Seven Socrates: Impiety Trials in the Restored Democracy
  2. pp. 208-240
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  1. Epilogue: The City after Socrates
  2. pp. 241-244
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  1. Glossary of Terms
  2. pp. 245-250
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  1. Suggested Further Readings by Chapter
  2. pp. 251-256
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  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 257-264
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 265-272
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