Harmful Interaction between the Living and the Dead in Greek Tragedy

by: Martin, B.

 Harmful interaction between the living and the dead in Greek tragedy

Author:Bridget Martin

Summary:"Examining the manifest and invisible dead, this book considers the nature, extent and limitations of harmful interaction between the living and the dead in Greek tragedy, concentrating on the abilities of the dead, the consequences of corpse exposure and mutilation, and the use of avenging agents by the dead

232 pages ; 24 cm

Contents:
IntroductionChapter 1. A framework: The Homeric and contemporary dead1.1 Introduction1.2 The Homeric dead1.3 The contemporary fifth-century dead1.4 ConclusionChapter 2. The tragic dead: The witless and/or the aware2.1 Introduction2.2 The scale of awareness2.2.1 Death is οὐδέν2.2.2 Egocentric awareness2.2.3 Family reunion2.2.4 A (hierarchical) society of the dead2.2.5 Postmortem rewards and punishments2.2.6 Prophetic knowledge2.2.7 The manifest dead2.3 ConclusionChapter 3. The how and the why of interaction: The manifest evidence3.1 Introduction3.2 The living interacting with the dead: necromancy3.2.1 Darius in Aeschylus? Persians3.2.2 Teiresias in Aeschylus? Psychagōgoi3.2.3 Agamemnon in Aeschylus? Choephori3.3 The dead interacting with the living: Dreams3.3.1 Clytemnestra in Aeschylus? Eumenides3.3.2 Polydorus in Euripides? Hecuba3.4 Spontaneous interaction: Achilles in Euripides? Hecuba3.5 ConclusionChapter 4. The living harming the dead: Exposure, mutilation and exclusion4.1 Introduction4.2 A concern for the living4.3 Burial and exposure: extent and limitations4.3.1 Burial4.3.2 Exposure and mutilation4.4 Physical harm in the Underworld4.5 Exposure before enemies: remembering and dismembering4.6 Exclusion from/within the Underworld4.7 ConclusionChapter 5. The dead harming the living: Autonomy and agents5.1 Introduction5.2 Autonomous revenge from the dead5.3 Olympian agents5.4 The Erinyes5.5 Living agents5.5.1 Agamemnon in Aeschylus? Choephori5.5.2 Achilles in Euripides? Hecuba5.6 ConclusionConclusion: The Alcestis Effect

Harmful Interaction between the Living and the Dead in Greek Tragedy

by: Martin, B.

• ISBN-13: 9781802078442 / 978-1-80207-844-2
• ISBN-03: 1802078444 / 1-80207-844-4
• Liverpool University Press, Liverpool, 2023