Body Language in the Greek and Roman Worlds

Description

A distinguished cast of scholars discusses models of gesture and non-verbal communication as they apply to Greek and Roman culture, literature and art. Topics include dress and costume in the Homeric poems; the importance of looking, eye-contact, and face-to-face orientation in Greek society; the construction of facial expression in Greek and Roman epic; the significance of gesture and body language in the visual meaning of ancient sculpture; the evidence for gesture and performance style in the texts of ancient drama; the erotic significance of feet and footprints; and the role of gesture in Roman law. The volume seeks to apply a sense of history as well as of theory in interpreting non-verbal communication. It looks both at the cross-cultural and at the culturally specific in its treatment of this important but long-neglected aspect of Classical Studies. CONTENTS Preface Introduction 1 CLOTH ES, CLASS AND GENDER IN HOMER 2 ON TH E SEMANTI CS OF ANCIENT GREEK SMI LES 3 (‘He r Lovely Foo tstep ’): TH E EROTI CS OF FEET IN ANCIENT GREECE 4 Body Language and the Female Role Playe r in Gree k Tragedy and Japane se 5 Sa rdanapallu s’ Gesture 6 BULLISH LOOKS AND SI DELONG GLANCES: SOCIAL INTERACTI ON AND TH E EYES IN ANCIENT GREEK CULTURE 7 Gesture in Early Ro man Law : Empty Forms or Essen tial Formal ities? 8 NONVERBAL BEHAVIOUR ON TH E ROMAN COMIC STAGE 9 Lavinia’s Blush 10 On Being Sea ted : gende r and body language in Hellen istic and Ro man art INDEX