VIOLENCE AS WORSHIP Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

VIOLENCE AS WORSHIP Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization violence as worship VIOLENCE AS WORSHIP Religious Wars in the Age of Globalization Hans G. Kippenberg Translated by Brian McNeil stanford university press stanford, california Stanford University Press Stanford, California English translation © 2011 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved. Violence as Worship was originally published in German under the title Gewalt als Gottesdienst. Religionskriege im Zeitalter der Globalisierung. © Verlag C. H. Beck, Munich 2008. The translation of this work was supported by a grant from the Goethe-Institut, which is funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Stanford University Press. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, archival-quality paper Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kippenberg, Hans G. (Hans Gerhard) [Gewalt als Gottesdienst. English] Violence as worship : religious wars in the age of globalization / Hans G. Kippenberg ; translated by Brian McNeil. p. cm. “Originally published in German under the title Gewalt als Gottesdienst.” Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8047-6872-6 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8047-6873-3 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Violence—Religious aspects—Islam. 2. Violence—Religious aspects— Christianity. 3. Violence—Religious aspects—Judaism. 4. War—Religious aspects—Islam. 5. War—Religious aspects—Christianity. 6. War—Religious aspects—Judaism. 7. Globalization—Religious aspects. I. McNeil, Brian. II. Title. BL65.V55K5613 2010 201'.7273—dc22 2010018099 Contents Preface vii 1 Introduction: Violence as Communal Religious Action 1 2 The Growth of Religious Communities in the Age of Globalization 19 3 Conflicts with Alternative Religious Communities in the United States in 1978 and 1993 40 4 Every Day ‘Ashura, Every Tomb Karbalā: Iran, 1977–1981 56 5 “The Party of God” Intervenes in the War: Lebanon, 1975–2000 76 6 Israel’s Wars of Redemption 94 7 Fighting for Palestine as Waqf 117 8 American Evangelicals Prepare the Eschatological Battlefield in Palestine 141 9 September 11, 2001: A Raid on the Path of God 158 10 The U.S. War on Terror: War Without Limits or Borders 182 11 Concluding Remarks: Wars of Religion in the Age of Globalization 197 Notes 213 Select Bibliography 245 Preface This book seeks to establish a new paradigm for research in a field that is both highly relevant and much disputed. More than half of all Ger- mans incline, for example, to the view that religions generate conflicts and are therefore intolerant. This opinion is confirmed by a flood of publica- tions that link monotheism with intolerance. On the other hand, we find the no-less-justified view that none of the world religions can allow itself systematically to issue a summons to violence, and that the main tone sounded by all religions is nonviolence. Against the background of this dispute, the present book offers a close examination of some cases that point to a close connection between religion and violence. The examina- tion of eight cases will show which traditions from the ample stock of reli- gious lore have been chosen to justify violence, and in what situations this has occurred. These cases are well known from the newspapers and televi- sion; but the reports often omit any reference to genuine religion, or else they conceal this under a different vocabulary. Unlike such presentations in the media, the research in this book plunges into a deep religious cur- rent of contemporary politics. It would have been impossible to carry out this comprehensive pro- gram without dialogue with my academic colleagues, and my position as a Fellow of the Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies afforded excellent opportunities for this. First of all, I should like to thank the doctoral and postdoctoral students and the Fellows: their competence in the disciplines of jurisprudence, history, philosophy, economics, and so- ciology has influenced my project in ways that I can no longer reconstruct. Without their suggestions and criticisms, I could not have developed the conceptual and methodological instruments that I have employed in the investigation of this subject. The stimulating climate created at the center by Dean Hans Joas was ideal for my work. I should also like to thank Ur- Preface sula Birtel-Koltes and the staff at the University Library in Erfurt, who got hold of books that were hard to find. Mrs. Birtel-Koltes has also helped with the work of text processing. It was originally agreed that the German publisher would receive the manuscript of this book in 2003, but my research took longer than anticipated. The subject matter presented itself in shifting forms and with an ever-new vitality that resisted attempts to “tame” it academically. Nev- ertheless, Ernst-Peter Wieckenberg and Ulrich Nolte never lost interest in this project, and they have accompanied its realization at various phases with helpful suggestions. The eight cases I have investigated have involved wide reading over a period of many years. Since I am not equally at home in every field, I have asked colleagues with proven academic qualifications to read through what I have written. Manfred Brocker read the chapter on American Prot- estantism, Ulrike Brunotte the introductory section, Alexander Flores my remarks about the Palestinians, Kurt Greussing the section on Iran, Stephan Rosiny the chapter about the Shi‘ites in Lebanon, and Zwi Wer- blowsky in Jerusalem the section on Israel. I wish to express my profound gratitude to them all; naturally, any mistakes remain my own. I have delivered parts of this book as lectures on various occasions: at academic meetings in Erfurt and Augsburg, at the Evangelical Academies in Loccum and Bonn-Bad Godesberg, at the Ecumenical Church Con- gress in Berlin in 2003, at the Catholic Church Congress in Saarbrücken in 2005, and in a research group of the FEST. I also spoke at a seminar in Dhaka in Bangladesh, where my remarks about the Islamic justification for 9/11 provoked such a storm of indignation in the press—“Arrest Profes- sor Hans!”—that the German embassy was afraid that I might not make it safely out of the country. Patrick Wöhrle, a doctoral student at the Max Weber Center, helped me with the final version of the German book. Except where otherwise mentioned, all translations from German texts in the present book are by Brian McNeil. chapter 1 Introduction: Violence as Communal Religious Action The intellectual, political, and military response of Western coun- tries to the attacks of September 11, 2001, displayed a helplessness that itself conjures up new dangers. Let me mention only one example. On Septem- ber 15, 2001, the auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Hamburg, Hans- Jochen Jaschke, expressed his indignation that the group responsible for the attacks had invoked God: “Thereby they dishonor the holy name of God. They misuse it for their perverse state of mind. We must not al- low criminals to justify their actions in the name of God, to issue a sum- mons to a holy war, and to promise a reward from God to those whom they have blinded. For God’s sake, NO!” What we must do now, the title of Jaschke’s newspaper article declares, is to raise on high God’s holy name: “In view of 9/11, I believe that the emergency situation exists in which ap- propriate, limited, legitimized violence may be used. It can create the pre- conditions for a rational unity among human beings. A worldwide civili- zation of love is possible only when it is not threatened by terror.”1 Today, we know that the military salvaging of God’s honor did not create the preconditions for love, but merely added further impetus to the escalation of violence. It is therefore high time to examine the efficacy of the therapy applied and to offer a new diagnosis of the phenomenon of contemporary religious violence. 2 Introduction Ought We Seek to Understand Religious Violence? Academic disciplines are kept on their toes by unexpected leaps on the part of the objects they investigate. Scholars of religion have been sur- prised in this way by occurrences of religious violence. In 1978, when the conflict between an American faith community and the U.S. authorities in Jonestown, Guyana, ended with the murder of an American congressman and members of his entourage and the subsequent mass suicide of the com- munity, scholars of religion were confronted by a phenomenon for which they were not prepared—and this was only the beginning. Since then, reli- gious violence has broken out in many different places in the world: other cult wars in the United States, the Islamic revolution in Iran, the civil war in Lebanon, the transformation of the Middle East conflict from one between states to one between faith communities, the attacks on the United States by jihadists on September 11, 2001, and the “War on Terror.” All these are studied in the present book. One could easily extend the list of cases (to in- clude, for instance, the Serb wars against Muslims in Bosnia and in Kosovo, the Hindu riot in Ayodhya that led to the destruction of the Babri Mosque, or the conflict in Chechnya). However, I limit myself to the eight cases mentioned here, because a close analysis of a few select instances increases our chances of developing an ideal model for other cases as well. This also makes it possible to look more precisely at each individual arena of violence, at the actors involved, and at the sequence of events.
Recommended publications
  • Functions and Uses of Egyptian Myth Fonctions Et Usages Du Mythe Égyptien
    Revue de l’histoire des religions 4 | 2018 Qu’est-ce qu’un mythe égyptien ? Functions and Uses of Egyptian Myth Fonctions et usages du mythe égyptien Katja Goebs and John Baines Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/rhr/9334 DOI: 10.4000/rhr.9334 ISSN: 2105-2573 Publisher Armand Colin Printed version Date of publication: 1 December 2018 Number of pages: 645-681 ISBN: 978-2-200-93200-8 ISSN: 0035-1423 Electronic reference Katja Goebs and John Baines, “Functions and Uses of Egyptian Myth”, Revue de l’histoire des religions [Online], 4 | 2018, Online since 01 December 2020, connection on 13 January 2021. URL: http:// journals.openedition.org/rhr/9334 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/rhr.9334 Tous droits réservés KATJA GOEBS / JOHN BAINES University of Toronto / University of Oxford Functions and Uses of Egyptian Myth* This article discusses functions and uses of myth in ancient Egypt as a contribution to comparative research. Applications of myth are reviewed in order to present a basic general typology of usages: from political, scholarly, ritual, and medical applications, through incorporation in images, to linguistic and literary exploitations. In its range of function and use, Egyptian myth is similar to that of other civilizations, except that written narratives appear to have developed relatively late. The many attested forms and uses underscore its flexibility, which has entailed many interpretations starting with assessments of the Osiris myth reported by Plutarch (2nd century AD). Myths conceptualize, describe, explain, and control the world, and they were adapted to an ever-changing reality. Fonctions et usages du mythe égyptien Cet article discute les fonctions et les usages du mythe en Égypte ancienne dans une perspective comparatiste et passe en revue ses applications, afin de proposer une typologie générale de ses usages – applications politiques, érudites, rituelles et médicales, incorporation dans des images, exploitation linguistique et littéraire.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Groningen Myth and Ritual in Ancient Greece Bremmer
    University of Groningen Myth and Ritual in Ancient Greece Bremmer, J.N. Published in: Griechische Mythologie und Frühchristentum IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2005 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Bremmer, J. N. (2005). Myth and Ritual in Ancient Greece: Observations on a Difficult Relationship. In R. von Haehling (Ed.), Griechische Mythologie und Frühchristentum (pp. 21-43). Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 23-09-2021 N. Oettinger, ‘Entstehung von Mythos aus Ritual. Das Beispiel des hethitischen textes CTH 390A’, in M. Hutter and S. Hutter-Braunsar (eds), Offizielle Religion, lokale Kulte und individuelle Religiosität (Münster, 2004) 347-56. MYTH AND RITUAL IN ANCIENT GREECE: OBSERVATIONS ON A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP by JAN N.
    [Show full text]
  • Die Zukunft Einer Provokation Religion Im Liberalen Staat
    1 bupBERLIN UNIVERSITY PRESS FFischer_65-0.inddischer_65-0.indd 1 220.08.20090.08.2009 007:21:517:21:51 2 FFischer_65-0.inddischer_65-0.indd 2 220.08.20090.08.2009 007:21:517:21:51 3 Karsten Fischer Die Zukunft einer Provokation Religion im liberalen Staat Berlin University Press FFischer_65-0.inddischer_65-0.indd 3 220.08.20090.08.2009 007:21:517:21:51 4 Karsten Fischer Die Zukunft einer Provokation Religion im liberalen Staat Erste Aufl age im September 2009 © Berlin University Press Alle Rechte vorbehalten Ausstattung und Umschlag Groothuis, Lohfert, Consorten | glcons.de Satz und Herstellung Dittebrandt Verlagsservice, Baden-Baden Schrift Borgis Joanna MT Druck DruckPartner Rübelmann GmbH, Hemsbach ISBN 978-3-940432-65-0 FFischer_65-0.inddischer_65-0.indd 4 220.08.20090.08.2009 007:21:517:21:51 5 Vorwort Die hiermit vorgelegten, im einzelnen aus verschiedenen An- lässen entstandenen und für dieses Buch allesamt überarbei- teten religionspolitischen Studien verdanken ihren gedankli- chen Zusammenhang der Arbeit im »Forschungsbereich Re- ligion und Politik« an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Gegründet hat ihn Rolf Schieder, dem ich nicht nur für die Schaffung dieses Diskussionszusammenhangs zu danken habe, sondern vor allem für unermüdliche Unterstützung meiner religionspolitischen Forschungsaktivitäten mit Rat und Tat, (Auf-)Forderung und Förderung. Danken möchte ich ferner Friedrich Wilhelm Graf, der den ersten Anstoß zu meiner systematischen Beschäftigung mit dem Thema Religionspolitik gegeben hat, indem er mich zum Vortrag auf dem Kongreß der Troeltsch-Gesellschaft im Jahr 2004 gedrängt hat und mich damit erstmalig auf das von ihm selbst so instruktiv bearbeitete Problemfeld religiö- ser Liberalität geführt hat, das mich seitdem nicht mehr los- gelassen hat.
    [Show full text]
  • Melammu: the Ancient World in an Age of Globalization Max Planck Research Library for the History and Development of Knowledge
    Melammu: The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization Max Planck Research Library for the History and Development of Knowledge Series Editors Ian T. Baldwin, Jürgen Renn, Dagmar Schäfer, Robert Schlögl, Bernard F. Schutz Edition Open Access Development Team Lindy Divarci, Nina Ruge, Matthias Schemmel, Kai Surendorf Scientific Board Markus Antonietti, Antonio Becchi, Fabio Bevilacqua, William G. Boltz, Jens Braarvik, Horst Bredekamp, Jed Z. Buchwald, Olivier Darrigol, Thomas Duve, Mike Edmunds, Fynn Ole Engler, Robert K. Englund, Mordechai Feingold, Rivka Feldhay, Gideon Freudenthal, Paolo Galluzzi, Kostas Gavroglu, Mark Geller, Domenico Giulini, Günther Görz, Gerd Graßhoff, James Hough, Man- fred Laubichler, Glenn Most, Klaus Müllen, Pier Daniele Napolitani, Alessandro Nova, Hermann Parzinger, Dan Potts, Sabine Schmidtke, Circe Silva da Silva, Ana Simões, Dieter Stein, Richard Stephenson, Mark Stitt, Noel M. Swerdlow, Liba Taub, Martin Vingron, Scott Walter, Norton Wise, Gerhard Wolf, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Gereon Wolters, Zhang Baichun Proceedings 7 Edition Open Access 2014 Melammu The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization Edited by Markham J. Geller (with the cooperation of Sergei Ignatov and Theodor Lekov) Edition Open Access 2014 Max Planck Research Library for the History and Development of Knowledge Proceedings 7 Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium of the Melammu Project, held in Sophia, Bulgaria, September 1–3, 2008. Communicated by: Jens Braarvig Edited by: Markham J. Geller Editorial Team: Lindy Divarci, Beatrice Hermann, Linda Jauch
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Techniques
    Cultural Techniques Cultural Techniques Assembling Spaces, Texts & Collectives Edited by Jörg Dünne, Kathrin Fehringer, Kristina Kuhn, and Wolfgang Struck We acknowledge support by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. ISBN 978-3-11-064456-2 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-064704-4 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-064534-7 DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110647044 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For details go to: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Library of Congress Control Number: 2020939337 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Jörg Dünne, Kathrin Fehringer, Kristina Kuhn, and Wolfgang Struck, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Cover image: porpeller/iStock/Getty Images Plus Typesetting: Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com Contents Jörg Dünne, Kathrin Fehringer, Kristina Kuhn, and Wolfgang Struck Introduction 1 Spaces Tom Ullrich Working on Barricades and Boulevards: Cultural Techniques of Revolution in Nineteenth-Century Paris 23 Jörg Dünne Cultural Techniques and Founding Fictions 47 Wolfgang Struck A Message in a Bottle 61 Gabriele Schabacher Waiting: Cultural Techniques, Media, and Infrastructures 73 Christoph Eggersglüß Orthopedics by the Roadside: Spikes and Studs as Devices of Social Normalization 87 Hannah Zindel Ballooning: Aeronautical Techniques from Montgolfier to Google 107 Texts/Bodies Bernhard Siegert Attached: The Object and the Collective 131 Michael Cuntz Monturen/montures: On Riding, Dressing, and Wearing.
    [Show full text]
  • The World of Greek Religion and Mythology
    Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Herausgeber/Editor Jörg Frey (Zürich) Mitherausgeber/Associate Editors Markus Bockmuehl (Oxford) ∙ James A. Kelhoffer (Uppsala) Tobias Nicklas (Regensburg) ∙ Janet Spittler (Charlottesville, VA) J. Ross Wagner (Durham, NC) 433 Jan N. Bremmer The World of Greek Religion and Mythology Collected Essays II Mohr Siebeck Jan N. Bremmer, born 1944; Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Groningen. orcid.org/0000-0001-8400-7143 ISBN 978-3-16-154451-4 / eISBN 978-3-16-158949-2 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-158949-2 ISSN 0512-1604 / eISSN 2568-7476 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbiblio- graphie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2019 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitt- ed by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particular- ly to reproductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was typeset using Stempel Garamond typeface and printed on non-aging pa- per by Gulde Druck in Tübingen. It was bound by Buchbinderei Spinner in Ottersweier. Printed in Germany. in memoriam Walter Burkert (1931–2015) Albert Henrichs (1942–2017) Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood (1945–2007) Preface It is a pleasure for me to offer here the second volume of my Collected Essays, containing a sizable part of my writings on Greek religion and mythology.1 Greek religion is not a subject that has always held my interest and attention.
    [Show full text]
  • GREEK RELIGION Walter Burkert
    GREEK RELIGION Walter Burkert Translated by John Raffan r Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts THINGS’ ANIMAL SACRIFICE II t . I ‘WORKING SACRED 55 diverted activity for the apathy which remains transfixed in reality; it lays claim to the highest seriousness, to the absolute. II When considered from the point of view of the goal, ritual behaviour appears as magic. For a science of religion which regards only instrumental 4 since acts action as meaningful, magic must be seen as the origin of religion, Ritual and Sanctuary which seek to achieve a given goal in an unclear but direct way are magical. The goal then appears to be the attainment of all desirable boons and the elimination of possible impediments: there is rain magic, fertility magic, love magic, and destructive magic. The conception of ritual as a kind of language, however, leads beyond this constraining artifice; magic is present only insofar as ritual is consciously placed in the service of some end — which may then undoubtedly affect the form of the ritual. Religious ritual is given as a collective institution; the individual participates within the framework of social communication, with the strongest motivating force being the need not in the study of religion which came to be generally acknowledged to stand apart. Conscious magic is a matter for individuals, for the few, and An insight are more important and end of the last century is that rituals is developed accordingly into a highly complicated pseudo-science. In early towards the ancient religions than are instructive for the understanding of the Greece, where the cult belongs in the communal, public sphere, the more is no longer seen in myths.’ With this recognition, antiquity importance of magic is correspondingly minimal.
    [Show full text]
  • Disjecta Membra: Hacia Una Iconografía Del Cuerpo Desmembrado Disjecta Membra: Towards an Iconography of the Dismembered Body María Isabel Rojas A
    https://repository.uaeh.edu.mx/revistas/index.php/ia/issue/archive MAGOTZI Boletín Científico de Artes del IA ISSN: 2007-4921 Publicación semestral, Vol. 8, No. 16 (2020) 1-8 Disjecta membra: Hacia una iconografía del cuerpo desmembrado Disjecta membra: Towards an Iconography of the Dismembered Body María Isabel Rojas a Abstract: The article is an iconographic essay on the motif of the dismembered body. Due to the ubiquitous presence of images of dismembered bodies in the Mexican media, the author analyses the meanings this motif has conveyed, in order to understand the way images of dismemberment operate to produce an emotional reaction in the viewer. Influenced by the methods of the science of the image in German Scholarship (Bildwissenschaft), the article advances the application of an iconographical method to analyse images of violence in different cultural contexts. Keywords: Dismemberment, iconography, Bildwissenchaft, visual studies, violence. Resumen: El artículo es un ensayo iconográfico sobre el motivo del cuerpo desmembrado. Dada la ubicuidad de imágenes de cuerpos desmembrados en la prensa en México, el autor analiza los significados que este motivo puede expresar, con el objetivo de comprender el modo en que las imágenes de desmembramiento operan para producir una reacción emocional en el espectador. Influenciado por los métodos de la llamada ‘ciencia de las imágenes’ de la tradición alemana (Bildwissenschaft), el artículo aborda el potencial de la aplicación de un método iconográfico al análisis de imágenes de violencia en diferentes contextos culturales. Palabras clave: Desmembramiento, iconografía, Bildwissenschaft, estudios visuales, violencia. narcomantas (Maihold, 2011; Mendoza Rockwell, 2016). Introduction This brutal strategy of communication and intimidation is The notion of the fragment is aesthetically linked to the now part of the daily life in a country where people are idea of modernity.
    [Show full text]
  • Artemis: Goddess of Conservation Author(S): J
    Artemis: Goddess of Conservation Author(s): J. Donald Hughes Source: Forest & Conservation History, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1990), pp. 191-197 Published by: Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3983705 . Accessed: 07/05/2014 23:17 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Forest History Society and American Society for Environmental History are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Forest &Conservation History. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.95.104.66 on Wed, 7 May 2014 23:17:35 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Artemis Goddess of Conservation J. Donald Hughes w The ancientGreeks represented the -I- ancientGreece resulted from the trans- spiritof conservationin the shape formationof a generaltype that had of a formidableprotectress of ani- existed for millennia. The mistressof mals and plants, the goddess Artemis. game was believedto protectwild ani- In the Louvreone can view a striking mals in general,or certain species, and statueof Artemis(or as the Romans to exact retributionfrom huntersin called her, Diana) in a runningpose, cases of disrespector improperinjury known as the Diana of Versailles,a or killing.
    [Show full text]
  • Plato and Play: Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece
    Plato and Play Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece s Armand D’Angour In this article, the author outlines Plato’s notions of play in ancient Greek culture and shows how the philosopher’s views on play can be best appreciated against the background of shifting meanings and evaluations of play in classical Greece. Play—in various forms such as word play, ritual, and music—proved central to the development of Hellenic culture. In ancient Greece, play (paidia) was intrinsi- cally associated with children (paides). However, both children and play assumed a greater cultural significance as literacy—and, consequently, education (paideia)— developed during the classical age of 500–300 BCE. Uniquely among ancient think- ers, Plato recognized that play influenced the way children developed as adults, and he proposed to regulate play for social ends. But Plato’s attitude toward play was ambivalent. Inclined to consider play an unworthy activity for adults, he seemed to suggest that intellectual play in some form, as demonstrated in the dialectical banter of Socrates, could provide a stimulus to understanding. Key words: educa- tion in ancient Greece; play and child development; play and education; play and Plato; Socratic dialectic Among various plausible misquotations that surface from time to time is a piece of popular wisdom attributed to Plato to the effect that “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” It was quoted by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in 2009, who took it from a popular American cookbook; the ultimate source may be a seventeenth-century trea- tise on etiquette by one Richard Lindgard (who does not attribute the quote to Plato).
    [Show full text]
  • Initiating Ajax: Mystery Ritual in Sophocles' Play I Contend That Three Major Plot Movements in Sophocles' Ajax—The Slaugh
    Initiating Ajax: Mystery Ritual in Sophocles’ Play I contend that three major plot movements in Sophocles’ Ajax—the slaughter of the herds, Ajax’s suicide, and the dispute over Ajax’s burial—form a progression that strongly evokes initiation ritual, especially the Dionysiac Mysteries. The most comprehensive treatment of ritual in this play is Brook 2014, which analyzes these same portions of the play through ‘ritual conflations’ and argues for a reverse rite of passage. Accepting Brook’s astute observations on such conflations, I suggest that a more intuitive progression of ritual emerges if we focus on mystic initiation. Different spheres of ritual are conflated in each of these three parts of the play. Brook demonstrates that the funereal and sacrificial spheres are conflated in the slaughter of the herds. To flesh out how sacrifice operates here, I add that the themes of sight and madness are associated with sacrifice both elsewhere in Greek myth and in this play. Sight, madness, and sacrifice coincide in a number of myths about Dionysus, e.g. Paus. 7.19.2-20.2. More famously, in Euripides’ Bacchae, Agave’s vision is deluded by her madness, which leads her to sacrifice Pentheus (Seidensticker 1979). Language describing sight, madness, and sacrifice is scattered throughout the episode of Ajax’s slaughter of the herds (Winnington-Ingram 1980, Tyrrel 1985, Falkner 1999). Like Agave’s madness, Ajax's madness deludes his sight and makes him sacrifice the wrong victims, cattle instead of the Atreidae. Ajax’s suicide and the speeches leading up to it also touch upon several spheres of ritual, including purification, sacrifice, gender fluidity, salvation, and assimilation to the divine.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Zeus Meilichios in Argos the Olympian Gods Famously Have
    The role of Zeus Meilichios in Argos The Olympian gods famously have nothing to do with the dead.1 ‘Farewell,’ says Artemis to the dying Hippolytos, ‘it is not lawful for me to look upon the dead or defile my sight with the last breath of the dying’.2 They are, after all, defined by their immortality, and death is antithetical to their very being.3 Thanatos is ‘hateful to men and loathsome to the gods’, and Hades himself is not exactly the most sociable of gods – and, notoriously, does not receive cult.4 In fact, the god of the dead never leaves his realm, and does not operate in the world of the living. And yet, as always, when we look more closely at the situation on the ground, things are not so straightforward. In this paper, I would like to consider a case in which a god appears to be picking up a particular association with the dead, and to look at how this interaction affects the iconography of his cult statue. What I am interested in is how the presence of a localised hero- or chthonic cult can affect the way that a god’s cult, and cult statue, are depicted and understood. The cult statue in question, in this case, is that of Zeus Meilichios at Argos. The epithet ‘Meilichios’ means ‘mild’, ‘kindly’, ‘open to propitiation’.5 The name is placatory, and, as Walter Burkert suggests, ‘epitomises the appeasing effect of offerings to the dead’.6 Like many such epithets, it has an ominous ring, implying a need to be particularly nice to a god who is potentially the opposite of kindly; and, indeed, this is a form of Zeus connected to the underworld.
    [Show full text]