A Cabinet of Greek Curiosities Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the Cradle of Western Civilization

by McKeown, J. C.

• ISBN13: 9780199982103
• ISBN10: 0199982104
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-06-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The legacy of the Greeks touches all aspects of modern life, and the world we live in would be unrecognizable without its influence. And yet, as A Cabinet of Greek Curiosities abundantly demonstrates, the Greeks were as disposed toward mysterious customs, peculiar superstitions, and uproarious opinions as any ancient or modern culture. Like its Roman predecessor, this volume is a captivating compendium of odd facts, strange beliefs, outlandish opinions, and other highly amusing trivia from the world of ancient Greece. Classicist J. C. McKeown has organized the entries in this volume around major themes - Food and Drink, Religion, Magic, Sex, Athletics, Drama, Animals, etc. - allowing for quick browsing or more deliberate consumption. For students and laypersons, this makes for a delightful and unexpected journey into the "glory that was Greece." Here's a sample: On post-Olympic careers: The least successful athletes, those who have never won any victories, suddenly call themselves trainers, and start shouting in harsh and barbarous tones, just like pigs -Galen On the value of education: Aristotle used to say that education was an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity -Diogenes Laertius On viniculture: Mendaean is the wine that the gods themselves piss on their soft couches -Hermippus On dreams: A dream involving one's stepmother is not good, whether she is alive or dead -Artemidorus On the perils of travel: In Libya there is a city calledDionysopolis that can never be located twice by the same person -Strabo On hygiene: Since the baths are of no practical value, we should avoid them. In the old days, people called them "human laundries" for they caused the body to wrinkle and grow old prematurely -St. Clement of Alexandria On the cosmos: The moon resembles the earth in that its surface is inhabited. The animals and plants, however, are bigger and more attractive than those here; the animals there are fifteen times as big,and do not void excrement -Philolaus On myth: They say that a monster used to come out of the sea to attack the Trojans. If they gave it young girls to eat, it would go away, but otherwise it would ravage their land. Who could fail to see that it is silly to suppose that people could strike a bargain with a fish? -Palaephatus

Author Biography

J. C. McKeown is Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Table of Contents

Preface
CHAPTER 1 Food and Drink
CHAPTER 2 Children and Education
CHAPTER 3 Women
CHAPTER 4 Sex
CHAPTER 5 Animals
CHAPTER 6 Athens
CHAPTER 7 Sparta
CHAPTER 8 Alexander the Great
CHAPTER 9 Greeks at Sea
CHAPTER 10 Greeks and Barbarians
CHAPTER 11 Athletics
CHAPTER 12 Homer
CHAPTER 13 Drama
CHAPTER 14 Spectators and Critics
CHAPTER 15 Books and Papyri
CHAPTER 16 Philosophers
CHAPTER 17 Mathematics
CHAPTER 18 Science and Technology
CHAPTER 19 Art
CHAPTER 20 Tourists and Tourist Attractions
CHAPTER 21 Religion, Superstition, and Magic
CHAPTER 22 Prophecy
CHAPTER 23 Words and Expressions
CHAPTER 24 The Soros
Glossary
The Coin Images
Illustration Credits