New Heroes in Antiquity

New Heroes in Antiquity
Author: Christopher P. Jones
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2010
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780674035867

Heroes and heroines in antiquity inhabited a space somewhere between gods and humans. In this detailed, yet brilliantly wide-ranging analysis, Christopher Jones starts from literary heroes such as Achilles and moves to the historical record of those exceptional men and women who were worshiped after death. He asks why and how mortals were heroized, and what exactly becoming a hero entailed in terms of religious action and belief. He proves that the growing popularity of heroizing the dead—fallen warriors, family members, magnanimous citizens—represents not a decline from earlier practice but an adaptation to new contexts and modes of thought. The most famous example of this process is Hadrian’s beloved, Antinoos, who can now be located within an ancient tradition of heroizing extraordinary youths who died prematurely. This book, wholly new and beautifully written, rescues the hero from literary metaphor and vividly restores heroism to the reality of ancient life.

New Heroes in Antiquity

New Heroes in Antiquity
Author: Christopher P. Jones
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 138
Release: 2010
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0674035860

Heroes and heroines in antiquity inhabited a space somewhere between gods and humans. In this detailed, yet brilliantly wide-ranging analysis, Christopher Jones starts from literary heroes such as Achilles and moves to the historical record of those exceptional men and women who were worshiped after death. He asks why and how mortals were heroized, and what exactly becoming a hero entailed in terms of religious action and belief. He proves that the growing popularity of heroizing the dead—fallen warriors, family members, magnanimous citizens—represents not a decline from earlier practice but an adaptation to new contexts and modes of thought. The most famous example of this process is Hadrian’s beloved, Antinoos, who can now be located within an ancient tradition of heroizing extraordinary youths who died prematurely. This book, wholly new and beautifully written, rescues the hero from literary metaphor and vividly restores heroism to the reality of ancient life.

The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours

The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours
Author: Gregory Nagy
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 657
Release: 2020-01-10
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0674244192

What does it mean to be a hero? The ancient Greeks who gave us Achilles and Odysseus had a very different understanding of the term than we do today. Based on the legendary Harvard course that Gregory Nagy has taught for well over thirty years, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours explores the roots of Western civilization and offers a masterclass in classical Greek literature. We meet the epic heroes of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, but Nagy also considers the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the songs of Sappho and Pindar, and the dialogues of Plato. Herodotus once said that to read Homer was to be a civilized person. To discover Nagy’s Homer is to be twice civilized. “Fascinating, often ingenious... A valuable synthesis of research finessed over thirty years.” —Times Literary Supplement “Nagy exuberantly reminds his readers that heroes—mortal strivers against fate, against monsters, and...against death itself—form the heart of Greek literature... [He brings] in every variation on the Greek hero, from the wily Theseus to the brawny Hercules to the ‘monolithic’ Achilles to the valiantly conflicted Oedipus.” —Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Monthly

Kinship Diplomacy in the Ancient World

Kinship Diplomacy in the Ancient World
Author: Christopher Prestige Jones
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1999
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780674505278

In this study of the political uses of perceived kinship from the Homeric age to Byzantium, Jones provides an unparalleled view of mythic belief in action and addresses fundamental questions about communal and national identity.

Heroes Masked and Mythic

Heroes Masked and Mythic
Author: Christopher Wood
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2021-01-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1476683158

Epic battles, hideous monsters and a host of petty gods--the world of Classical mythology continues to fascinate and inspire. Heroes like Herakles, Achilles and Perseus have influenced Western art and literature for centuries, and today are reinvented in the modern superhero. What does Iron Man have to do with the Homeric hero Odysseus? How does the African warrior Memnon compare with Marvel's Black Panther? Do DC's Wonder Woman and Xena the Warrior Princess reflect the tradition of Amazon women such as Penthesileia? How does the modern superhero's journey echo that of the epic warrior? With fresh insight into ancient Greek texts and historical art, this book examines modern superhero archetypes and iconography in comics and film as the crystallization of the hero's journey in the modern imagination.

Herakles

Herakles
Author: Emma Stafford
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2013-06-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1136519270

There is more material available on Herakles than any other Greek god or hero. His story has many more episodes than those of other heroes, concerning his life and death as well as his battles with myriad monsters and other opponents. In literature, he appears in our earliest Greek epic and lyric poetry, is reinvented for the tragic and comic stage, and later finds his way into such unlikely areas as philosophical writing and love poetry. In art, his exploits are amongst the earliest identifiable mythological scenes, and his easily-recognisable figure with lionskin and club was a familiar sight throughout antiquity in sculpture, vase-painting and other media. He was held up as an ancestor and role-model for both Greek and Roman rulers, and widely worshipped as a god, his unusual status as a hero-god being reinforced by the story of his apotheosis. Often referred to by his Roman name Hercules, he has continued to fascinate writers and artists right up to the present day. In Herakles, Emma Stafford has successfully tackled the ‘Herculean task’ of surveying both the ancient sources and the extensive modern scholarship in order to present a hugely accessible account of this important mythical figure. Covering both Greek and Roman material, the book highlights areas of consensus and dissent, indicating avenues for further study on both details and broader issues. Easy to read, Herakles is perfectly suited to students of classics and related disciplines, and of interest to anyone looking for an insight into ancient Greece’s most popular hero.

Heroes

Heroes
Author: Michael John Anderson
Publisher: Walters Art Gallery
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2009
Genre: Art
ISBN:

"This volume investigates the integral role of heroes in ancient Greek art and culture. More than a hundred statues, reliefs, vases, bronzes, coins, and gems drawn from European and American collections, illustrate the ways in which heroes were represented, why they were important in Greek culture, and what encouraged individuals to seek them out." --Book Jacket.

Crafting Characters

Crafting Characters
Author: Koen De Temmerman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2014-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199686149

Analyzes the characterization of the protagonists in the five extant, so-called 'ideal' Greek novels of the first few centuries C.E., using the conceptual couples of typification/individuation, idealistic/realistic characterization, and static/dynamic character to show their complexity.

The Heroes and Mortals of Greek Mythology

The Heroes and Mortals of Greek Mythology
Author: Don Nardo
Publisher: Capstone
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2011-07
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0756544807

Describes the origins, personalities, and special powers of the Greek mythical heroes, including such figures as Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, and Oedipus.

Heroes

Heroes
Author: Stephen Fry
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2018-11-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1405940387

IMAGINE SANDALS ON YOUR FEET, A SWORD IN YOUR HAND, HOT SUN BEATING DOWN ON YOUR BRONZE HELMET . . . ENTER THE WORLD OF STEPHEN FRY'S SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, HEROES 'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' DAIL MAIL _________ Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes. In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera. Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best. _________ If you loved HEROES, discover Stephen Fry's bewitching retelling of the most legendary story ever told in TROY 'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' THE TIMES 'Assured and engaging. The pace is lively, the jokes are genuinely funny' GUARDIAN 'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' EVENING STANDARD 'Just as delightful and difficult to put down as the first. Heroes makes the stories relatable without skimping on the gory details, or sacrificing the truths of the myth. It's rich, it's funny and you'll feel like you've learned a lot' HERALD PRAISE FOR MYTHOS: 'Ebullient and funny' THE TIMES 'Entertaining and edifying' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A rollicking good read' INDEPENDENT 'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' GUARDIAN