In this Book
- Civic Rites: Democracy and Religion in Ancient Athens
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of California Press
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
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. 2-9
- List of Illustrations
- pp. xi-xii
- Epilogue: The City after Socrates
- pp. 241-244
- Glossary of Terms
- pp. 245-250
- Suggested Further Readings by Chapter
- pp. 251-256
- Bibliography
- pp. 257-264
Additional Information
ISBN
9780520945487
Related ISBN(s)
9780520262034
MARC Record
OCLC
609863784
Pages
296
Launched on MUSE
2014-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No