Sacrificing in cities : opening

La vidéo sera disponible prochainement.

Abstract

This opening lesson is based on a treatise entitled Rhetoric to Alexander, dated between 340 and 300. Pierre Chiron published a reference edition of this text, little used by Greek historians, with Belles Lettres in 2002. The treatise focuses on the deliberative discourse of the council and assembly, the key bodies in the political life of a Greek city, including Athens, where the text is based. The agendas of these bodies include various items, the first of which concerns the hiera, or " sacred affairs ", i.e. matters relating to the gods. It's clear from the outset that these "affairs" essentially revolve around the celebration of sacrifices and the way in which the city legislates about them, with all the rigorous flexibility required by a traditional, non-dogmatic system. Analysis of these arguments offers a rare opportunity to grasp the pragmatics of sacrifice in the official thinking of political bodies. The lesson also compares these arguments with testimonies that vary in chronology, genre and purpose. This type of documentary cross-referencing confirms the relevance of talking about sacrificial Greece : it's a cultural skill that spans the centuries.