This paper attempts to bridge the gap between contemporary scholars of democratization and researchers studying the political history of Ancient Greece. Although these two subfields already share important commonalities, they have remained indifferent to each other’s work. I argue that the dēmos can serve as yet another area of convergence between them. The increased dialogue between these two research traditions should enrich scholarly debates in both subfields and it also offers an opportunity to address their methodological drawbacks. Specifically, contemporary democratization research tends to undervalue the significance of ordinary people in the democratization process. Conversely, scholars of the ancient Greek world have a tendency to be enigmatic about their use of research methods, which potentially perpetuates the perception that political theorists engage in anachronistic research. Thus, bridging these two camps offers a real opportunity to enrich them individually, as well as the democratization paradigm that underpins both of them.
This paper arises from the socio‑cultural norms about female biology that are evident in the Greek medical theories and discusses what measures women could take in response to the concerns presented by them. Taking the viewpoint of individuals as ‘consumers’ of healing, it examines healing opportunities within the shrines of Artemis and Hera. Artemis and Hera are well known to us for their association with women, their biological and social maturation, and, consequently, conception, pregnancy and childbirth. A significant body of evidence potentially indicating a concern for female health exists in their sanctuaries, typically in the form of votive offerings. Did all the sanctuaries of Artemis and Hera offer protection for gynaecological problems? Did the two goddesses offer the same level of protection? Was this protection subject to regional variation? Investigating votives dedicated to the two deities, this paper surveys ways in which the healing landscape of ancient Greece may have functioned in regard to female patients. Evidence from major sites in Attica, the Peloponnese and Asia Minor is brought together to allow a better comparison of customs.
The article deals with generalization and systematization of information based on the results of the analysis of scientific-methodological literature on the identification of disparate information about the civilization of the people, who have made an invaluable contribution to the formation and flourishing of one of the greatest cultures of the ancient world – Greek culture. It is stressed that modern historical science completely ignores a civilization of pelasg because of unauthenticity of information on its ethnos. In the annals of modern history a large number of data on the people to the Achaean period of Greece, but unfortunately, all of them are represented by the separate historical data about pelasg which aren’t systematized. In mythological tradition the primogenitor of pelasg is considered to be the mythical Pelasg, Argolida’s tsar, by the name of which the residents of Greece are called. About these brave, adventurous people who had no own state, and existed with thirst of life, with the unique thought to survive and keep the cultural traditions as independent ethnos, famous Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman historians Herodotus, Strabon, Pavsany, Apollodorus, Fukidid, Dionysius Galikarnassky, Diodor Sitsiliysky, etc. wrote. Legendary poets and writers of ancient times: Homer in «Illiada», Virgil in «Eneida», Eskhil in «Prokhalnitsi» and Sophocles in «Inakh» described these people. Pelasg is a name with which Ancient Greek historians and geographers called Greek people occupying Hellas till the emergence of the Cretan-Mycenaean civilization. In article an attempt is made to provide realistic historical information on the people who stood at the origins of the basis and development of Ancient Greek art. Pelasg is the ancient ethnos of an Indo-European origin which came in the XХ century B.C. to the territory of the Peloponnesus peninsula and created bases of the civilization preceding Cretan-Mycenaean. In this work there is provided the answer to a question, what people, nevertheless, stood at the origins of physical culture of Ancient Greece: pelasg, achaeans, doriyets or Ionians and who were more civilized, Indo-Europeans – pelasg, or Aryans – achaeans with doriyets. The prospect of further research should be the introduction of the information on the physical culture of the people of the Achaean period of Ancient Greece to the lecture course of the discipline “History of physical culture” on the subject “Physical culture of the antiquity”.
The presented article deals with the metaphor of “the dog” in Rev 22:15 on the cultural background of Ancient Greece. The analysis of the state of research has shown that exegetes interpreting the term οἱ κύνες refer primarily to parallel texts found in the Bible itself (and in extra-biblical religious literature). However, such an interpretation does not exhaust the richness of meaning of the metaphor of “the dog”. The same text read by Christians who have had a previous experience of Hellenistic culture opens up new ways for an exploration of new meanings of “the dog” metaphor. According to the author of the article, Christians originating from Hellenistic culture could see the motif of “the dog” in connection with pederastic courtship, where it was the embodiment of an older partner in this relationship – the so-called erastes. This understanding of the metaphor of “the dog” is based on the reference to hunting, which was an important part of the life of ancient Greeks. In Greek literature and in vase painting, when presenting the homosexual courtship of the elder – erastes towards the younger – eromenos, one often referred to the idea of hunting. This is evident in iconography, where scenes of pederasty often employ motifs of a dog, and in literature, where erastes’ efforts are depicted in the likeness of hunting. The author of the Apocalypse, placing “dogs” among the categories of people excluded from participation in the New Jerusalem, showed that pederastic practices prevent access to the community of God's new people.
PL
Prezentowany artykuł zajmuje się analizą motywu psa w Ap 22,15 w kontekście kulturowym starożytnej Grecji. Analiza stanu badań pokazała, że egzegeci w interpretacji terminu οἱ κύνες odwołują się przede wszystkim do tekstów paralelnych znajdujących się w samej Biblii (oraz literaturze pozabiblijnej). Taka interpretacja nie wyczerpuje jednak bogactwa znaczeniowego metafory psa. Ten sam tekst czytany przez chrześcijan, którzy mieli za sobą doświadczenie kultury hellenistycznej otwiera się na nowe znaczenia. Zdaniem autora artykułu chrześcijanie wywodzący się z kultury hellenistycznej mogli widzieć motyw psa w powiązaniu z zalotami o charakterze pederastycznym, gdzie stanowił on uosobienie starszego partnera w tej relacji – tzw. erastesa. Takie rozumienie metafory psa ma u swoich fundamentów odwołanie się do polowania, które stanowiło ważny element życia antycznych Greków. W literaturze greckiej oraz w malarstwie wazowym, przedstawiając homoseksualne zaloty starszych – erastesów względem młodszych – eromenosów odwoływano się do idei polowania. Widoczne jest to w ikonografii, gdzie sceny ukazujące pederastię często zawierają motyw psa, oraz literaturze, gdzie wysiłki erastesa ukazane są na podobieństwo polowania. Autor Apokalipsy umieszczając „psy” pośród kategorii ludzi wykluczonych z udziału w Mieście Świętym pokazał, że praktyki pederastyczne zamykają dostęp do wspólnoty nowego ludu Bożego.
Położona u wybrzeży Azji Mniejszej wyspa Rodos jest terenem, na którym w starożytności ścierały się wpływy kulturowe i ekonomiczne płynące z Azji Mniejszej oraz ze świata greckiego. Sytuacja ta widoczna jest w mennictwie ośrodków rodyjskich w okresach archaicznym i klasycznym. Trzy rodyjskie poleis, Ialysos, Lindos i Kamiros emitowały własne monety od ostatniej ćwierci VI w. p.n.e. do 408/407 r. p.n.e., tj. do czasu założenia miasta Rodos. Ikonografia monetarna oraz systemy wagowe, w których wybijano monety odzwierciedlają zmiany polityczne i powiązania gospodarcze. Na produkcję monetarną istotny wpływ wywarły powiązania handlowe – przez Rodos prowadziły szlaki handlowe wiążące Grecję z Azja Mniejszą, Lewantem i Egiptem. Sytuacja ta znalazła swoje odbicie w rozlokowaniu skarbów zawierających monety ośrodków rodyjskich. Szczególny charakter ma dyskusja nad produkowanymi na Rodos monetami elektronowymi.
EN
The island of Rhodes, situated near Asia Minor, was an area in which cultural and economic influences from Asia Minor and the Greek world met in Antiquity. Effects of this situation are visible in the coinages of the Rhodian poleis in the Archaic and Classical periods. Ialysos, Lindos and Kamiros issued coins from the last quarter of the 6th century BC to 408/407 BC, i.e. to the time of founding of the city of Rhodes. The history of the coinage of each city is discussed. Coin iconography and different weight systems used in coin production are related to the prevailing political and economic situation. The trade connections of the three Rhodian poleis with Asia Minor, the Levant and Egypt also had a strong influenced on Rhodian coinage. These trade relations well attested by the location of coin hoards consisting of coins of Ialysos, Lindos and Kamiros. Special attention is given to the electrum coins minted by the Rhodian poleis. A special topic of the discussion is the reasons why electrum coinage was produced.
W artykule poddane zostały analizie helleńskie koncepcje dotyczące antropomorfizacji bóstw i nasze współczesne poglądy – zarówno te popularne, jak i naukowe – na temat greckiej wiary w możliwość przybierania przez bogów postaci ludzkich. W tekście podjęto próby odpowiedzi na następujące pytania: Czy Hellenowie konsekwentnie wierzyli w bóstwa w ludzkiej formie? Czy uproszczone wizerunki bóstw greckich z atrybutami, które znamy z opracowań mitologii, są dziełem wyłącznie późniejszych epok, czy też to sami Grecy przyczynili się do powstania uproszczeń? Okazuje się, że choć bóstwa greckie przedstawiano w ludzkich postaciach i antropomorficzne bóstwo pod postacią statuy było trwałym elementem kultu, to jednak paradoksalnie wierzono, że boski kształt pozostaje dla człowieka nieuchwytny. Znane dziś powszechnie postaci greckich bóstw, sprowadzone do określonych wizerunków ze specyficznymi atrybutami i wyznaczonym patronatem nad poszczególnymi dziedzinami życia, nie są wcale dziełem późniejszych epok, gdyż wprowadzili je już starożytni greccy twórcy, począwszy od samego Homera.
EN
The article analyses the Hellenic conceptions related to anthropomorphisation of deities, as well as our modern views – both popular and scientific – related to Greek belief in the possibility that gods could exist in human form. The author tries to answer the following questions: Did the Hellenes consistently believe in deities as being in human form? Are the simplified images of Greek deities, with attributes known from studies of mythology, the result of the subsequent epochs only? Or maybe the Greeks contributed to creation of such simplifications. It appears that although Greek deities were presented in human form and anthropomorphic gods in the form of a statue were a permanent element of the cult, it was paradoxically believed that a divine shape was elusive for a human being. The presently well known Greek deities, with their own characteristic appearances, specific attributes and patronages over given areas of life, are not the invention of the subsequent periods in Greek history. They were introduced by ancient Greek authors, with Homer himself at the head.
Humanity has practised animal sacrifice for the greater part of its history, from the time of the Neolithic Revolution. The ritual forms have varied, depending on the culture. They have also been subject to change, in connection with the development of human understanding and knowledge of animals, which is reflected in the ontological, cultural and moral status assigned to animals in the human world. Sacrificing animals involved not only killing them in a particular way – their treatment was sometimes sophisticated or ‘ritualistic’; often it was simply cruel. Human attitudes towards non-human living beings have also evolved in the context of animal killing and sacrifice. The treatment of animals reveals a great deal about human beings – in terms of their culture, beliefs, and morals. The article outlines this issue in a historical manner, referring to the practices adopted in selected cultural circles (in the Mediterranean Basin): ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, as well as in Judaism and Islam. The key findings of researchers are presented, along with the evaluations of philosophers, ethicists and anthropologists.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.