Greek and Roman Animal Sacrifice

Ancient Victims, Modern Observers

F S Naiden editor Christopher A Faraone editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:22nd Mar '12

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Greek and Roman Animal Sacrifice cover

The first general critique of the interpretations of animal sacrifice established by Walter Burkert, the late J.-P. Vernant, and Marcel Detienne.

Sacrifice was a central part of Greek and Roman religion, and this volume explores many aspects of it. The book will be indispensable for scholars in all fields of ancient civilization, for teachers of Classical religion and for all those interested in contemporary interpretation of the Classics.The interpretation of animal sacrifice, now considered the most important ancient Greek and Roman religious ritual, has long been dominated by the views of Walter Burkert, the late J.-P. Vernant, and Marcel Detienne. No penetrating and general critique of their views has appeared and, in particular, no critique of the application of these views to Roman religion. Nor has any critique dealt with the use of literary and visual sources by these writers. This book, a collection of essays by leading scholars, incorporates all these subjects and provides a theoretical background for the study of animal sacrifice in an ancient context.

'This is an interesting and thought-provoking book that encourages us always to be aware of the limits of our evidence and to ask where our ideas have come from. It renders a service to scholarship in doing so.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'F. S. Naiden's essay takes up the question of sacrificial commensality, and poses obvious practical questions: how much meat did an animal yield? How many people ate? How much did they get? He doesn't give definite answers to any of these questions, but employs a fascinating range of evidence … making use of the latest studies, Greek and Roman Animal Sacrifice provides a fine introduction to the state of the question.' Christopher S. Faraone, First Things

ISBN: 9781107011120

Dimensions: 229mm x 155mm x 18mm

Weight: 480g

224 pages