想象中的希腊：神话的多重语境

by Richard Buxton, 理查德·巴克斯顿, 欧阳旭东 (Translator)

著名文化历史学家巴克斯顿的《想象中的希腊：神话的多重语境》是一部将希腊神话与其最初语境联系起来加以探讨的古典学研究名著。全书写作依托文本，驰骋纵横，文史兼备，是一部详尽展示希腊神话的优秀作品。

《想象中的希腊》将希腊神话与其最初的语境联系起来加以研究。上篇主要讨论神话叙事的各种语境：如家庭、公众节日、礼厅等。中篇是本书的核心部分，重点审视古希腊现实生活与神话幻想之间的关系：从地貌、家庭和宗教等方面进行了个案分析。下篇集中讨论讲述神话的功能，并从古希腊人自身以及后来的观察者这两个角度进行阐释。

作者希望本书帮助读者了解看似变化无穷的希腊神话其实是特定地域、特定制度和特定社会的产物。作者也对神话领域中的一些最新研究成果作出回应（例如，由欧洲学者发展起来的结构主义论和神话加仪式的研究方法），并在书中尽量避免使用不必要的晦涩术语。毕竟所有的希腊材料都是经过翻译而来的。

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Classics, History, Greek Mythology, Greece, Literary Criticism

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 16, 1994

About the author

Richard Buxton works on ancient Greek literature (especially tragedy), and ancient mythology and religion. One of his main aims is to explore the contexts – for example, social life and the landscape – which can help us to recover the meanings which myths had for their tellers and hearers/readers (see his Imaginary Greece, 1994, and The Complete World of Greek Mythology, 2004).

In 1996 he organized a major international conference at Bristol, whose proceedings appeared as From Myth to Reason? (1999) Since 2003 he has been one of the editors of Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum and since 2006 he has been President of the LIMC Foundation. His book 'Forms of Astonishment: Greek Myths of Metamorphosis' was published in 2009. He will next be revising for publication a selection of his papers on Greek myth and tragedy.

He has taken part in a number of radio programs about myth. His work has been translated into nine languages.

Reviews

[Xavier Dc · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'actitud metodològica de l'autor és molt prudent. Mira d'aprendre dels errors dels seus predecessors (hi ha una crítica constant a l'estructuralisme per exemple de Vernant o Detienne) i de respectar la dificultat i la inevitable incertesa de la majoria de conclusions que es vulguin formular en aquest àmbit.

I és que el tema del llibre no és menor, és pot ser el gran tema dels estudis sobre mitologia: què mostren, què revelen, què ens diuen els mites de la vida dels grecs? I, d'altra banda, què significaven els mites pels grecs? On els contaven? Quan? Per què? Com els enteneien? Quin paper tenien les representacions mítiques en el seu dia a dia, les seves festivitats i els seus cultes? Què volem dir quan diem que "creien" en déus i relats fantàstics?

Com deia a l'inici tot això quedarà sense una resposta definitiva. La irreductibilitat de cada mite, cada polis, cada època, cada context particular ho tornen impossible. I tot i així no diria que Buxton eludeixi les preguntes, senzillament les respon amb peus de plom. Però sense vaguetats. Cita un munt de fonts històriques i exemples de mites no només per mostrar la pluralitat de les interpretacions i les vivències, és a dir, no només per a que veiem com de complexe és la qüestió sinó per a explicar-la.

[mel. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS ✨
𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆.

[Liam Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is good because it really does place myth within the context of art and society, performance and audience; written v. oral. I like his take on why agriculture isn't part of the God's work, it is The human activity.

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable, great overview of one way of looking at Greek Mythology. Examines mythology in social, political, cultural, temporal contexts. Looks at how myth reflects and refracts reality, and the relationship between the world of the tellers and the world of the myths.