The seer (mantis), an expert in the art of divination, operated in ancient Greek society through a combination of charismatic inspiration and diverse skills ranging from examining the livers of sacrificed animals to spirit possession. Unlike the palm readers and mediums who exist on the fringe of modern society, many seers were highly paid, well respected, educated members of the elite who played an essential role in the conduct of daily life, political decisions, and military campaigns. Armies, for example, never went anywhere without one. This engaging book, the only comprehensive study of this fascinating figure, enters into the socioreligious world of ancient Greece to explore what seers did, why they were so widely employed, and how their craft served as a viable and useful social practice.
The Seer in Ancient Greece
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Editorial Reviews
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"A very important book."--Classical Outlook
From the Inside Flap
"Surveying all kinds of evidence--historiographical, literary, dramatic, and visual--Flower provides a comprehensive, readable, and engaging account of the operations of 'seers' during the Classical period."--Mark Griffith, editor of Prometheus Bound and Antigone
"In a page-turning tour de force of anthropological reconstruction, classicist Michael Flower revisits hundreds of ancient texts to tease out his case for the absolutely central role of seercraft at all levels of ancient Greek society. Thanks to Flower's invitingly-woven tapestry of their mesmerizing stories and anecdotes, we can now savor, and comprehend through his lucid and persuasive interpretations."--Peter Nabokov, author of Where the Lightning Strikes: American Indian Ways of History
"In a page-turning tour de force of anthropological reconstruction, classicist Michael Flower revisits hundreds of ancient texts to tease out his case for the absolutely central role of seercraft at all levels of ancient Greek society. Thanks to Flower's invitingly-woven tapestry of their mesmerizing stories and anecdotes, we can now savor, and comprehend through his lucid and persuasive interpretations."--Peter Nabokov, author of Where the Lightning Strikes: American Indian Ways of History
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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sacrificial divination, historical seers, military divination, mantic families, omens from sacrifice, technical divination, particular seer, female seer, oracular center, verse oracles, best seer, divinatory rites, poison oracle, bird signs, other seers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Near East, Oedipus Tyrannus, Ten Thousand, Tisamenus of Elis, Asia Minor, Alexander the Great, Van Straten, Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's Anabasis, Aristander of Telmessus, Zeus the King, Euenius of Apollonia, Callisthenes of Olynthus, Cyrus the Younger, Hebrew Bible, Aeschylus's Agamemnon, Phoebus Apollo, Art Resource, Chief State Oracle, Asopus River, Persian Wars, Theopompus of Chios, Zeus Meilichios, Istar of Arbela, King of Persia Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
sacrificial divination, historical seers, military divination, mantic families, omens from sacrifice, technical divination, particular seer, female seer, oracular center, verse oracles, best seer, divinatory rites, poison oracle, bird signs, other seers Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Near East, Oedipus Tyrannus, Ten Thousand, Tisamenus of Elis, Asia Minor, Alexander the Great, Van Straten, Peloponnesian War, Xenophon's Anabasis, Aristander of Telmessus, Zeus the King, Euenius of Apollonia, Callisthenes of Olynthus, Cyrus the Younger, Hebrew Bible, Aeschylus's Agamemnon, Phoebus Apollo, Art Resource, Chief State Oracle, Asopus River, Persian Wars, Theopompus of Chios, Zeus Meilichios, Istar of Arbela, King of Persia Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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