ENGLISH

Ritualised Friendship and the Greek City

By Gabriel Herman

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1987
ISBN
0521325412, 0521522102
LCC
DF78 .H47 1987
Open Library ID
OL2711442M
Language
english
Format
DJVU
Filesize
4 MB (4356496 bytes)
Pages
221\221
Time added
2014-10-05 02:30:00

Description

In this book, Gabriel Herman offers a new interpretation of Greek xenia, a term traditionally rendered as 'guest-friendship'. Drawing on contemporary literary sources and inscriptions as well as anthropology, sociology, and comparative evidence from other times, he shows that xenia was a bond of fictitious kinship akin to godparenthood, rather than a tie of hospitality or ordinary 'friendship'. Starting off from this proposition, he develops a dynamic model of the formation of elite relationships and values. He explores the concepts of obligation and loyalty, gift and bribe, treason and patriotism, and places the Greek city within a new context of power relations. This book, which assumes no knowledge of Greek, will be of interest to students and teachers of ancient history and classics. It will also appeal to social and political scientists.

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