Divinity and History: The Religion of Herodotus

by Thomas Harrison

Overview

Critics of Herodotus have generally shown an unease in the face of the religious passages of the Histories, a sense that he 'lets himself down' by delving into matters irrelevant to the proper purpose of history. They have tended consequently to latch on to isolated instances of scepticism in an attempt to vindicate Herodotus from imagined charges of obscurantism. Historians of Greek religion, on the other hand, by their concentration on ritual as the central feature of Greek religious experience, have often neglected the value of literary sources as evidence of religious belief; indeed the term belief has become something of a dirty word. In this book, the first full-length study of the subject in English, Dr Harrison not only places Herodotus' religious beliefs at the centre of his conception of history, but - by seeing instances of scepticism and of belief in relation to one another, and by the use of analogy from anthropological literature - also redresses the recent emphasis on the centrality of ritual.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198152910
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/21/2000
Series:	Oxford Classical Monographs
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Thomas Harrison is Lecturer in Ancient History, the University of St Andrews

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Divinity and History2. Solon and Human Fortune3. Miracles and the Miraculous4. Divine Retribution5. Oracles and Divination6. The Unity and Multiplicity of the Divine7. The Limits of Knowledge and Inquiry8. Foreign Gods and Foreign Religion9. Fate and Human Responsibility10. Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

"This is a definitive work on Herodotus and Herodotean religion—balanced, learned, and wise. It should be an exemplar for all future discussions of ancient attitudes toward the divine, and the first chapter should be required reading for all students of Herodotus. It is almost as pleasurable and rewarding to read as Herodotus himself."—Choice

"An outstanding book of erudition, indispensable to all scholars interested in Herodotus. "—History

From the Publisher