Imaginary Greece: The Contexts of Mythology

by Richard Buxton

This is a study of Greek myths in relation to the society in which they were originally told. It does not re-tell the myths; rather, it offers an analysis of how myths played a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks. The relation between reality and fantasy is discussed by means of three case studies: the landscape, the family, and religion. Most of all, this book seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless variations of Greek mythology are a product of its particular people, place, and time.

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

266 pages, Hardcover

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.