This is the first major synthesis of Greek religion to appear for a generation. A clearly structured and readable survey for classical scholars and students, it will also be generally welcomed as the best modern account of any polytheistic religious system. The text builds up an impressive and coherent picture of the current state of knowledge about the religion of the ancient Greeks.

Preface to the English Edition Introduction
A Survey of Scholarship
The Sources
The Scope of the Study
Prehistory and the Minoan-Mycenaean Age
The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
Indo-European
The Minoan-Mycenaean Religion
A Historical Survey
The State of the Sources
The Cult Places Caves Peak Sanctuaries Tree Sanctuaries House Sanctuaries Temples Graves
Rituals and Symbols
The Minoan Deities
The Mycenaean Gods and Linear B
The 'Dark Age' and the Problem of Continuity
Ritual and Sanctuary
'Working Sacred Things': Animal Sacrifice
Description and Interpretation
Blood Rituals
Fire Rituals
Animal and God
Gift Offerings and Libation
First Fruit Offerings
Votive Offerings
Libation
Prayer
Purification
Function and Methods
The Sacred and the Pure
Death, Illness, and Madness
Purification by Blood
Pharmakos
The Sanctuary
Temenos
Altar
Temple and Cult Image
Anathemata
Priests
The Festival
Pompe
Agermos
Dancing and Hymns
Masks, Phalloi, Aischrologia
Agon
The Banquet of the Gods
Sacred Marriage
Ecstasy and Divination
Enthousiasmos
The Art of the Seer
Oracles
The Gods
The Spell of Homer
Individual Gods
Zeus
Hera
Poseidon
Athena
Apollo
Artemis
Aphrodite
Hermes
Demeter
Dionysos
Hephaistos
Ares
The Remainder of the Pantheon
Lesser Gods
Societies of Gods
Nature Deities
Foreign Gods
Daimon
The Special Character of Greek Anthropomorphism
The Dead, Heroes, and Chthonic Gods
Burial and the Cult of the Dead
Afterlife Mythology
Olympian and Chthonic
The Heroes
Figures who cross the Chthonic-Olympian Boundary
Heracles
The Dioskouroi
Asklepios
Polis and Polytheism
Thought Patterns in Greek Polytheism General Considerations The Family of the Gods Pairs of Gods Old and Young Dionysos
The Rhythm of the Festivals
Festival Calendars
Year Ending and New Year
Karneia
Anthesteria
Thesmophoria
Social Functions of Cult
Gods between Amorality and Law
The Oath
The Creation of Solidarity in the Playing and the Interplay of Roles
Initiation
Crisis Management
Piety in the Mirror of Greek Language
Sacred'
Theos
Eusebeia
Mysteries and Asceticism
Mystery Sanctuaries
General Considerations
Clan and Family Mysteries
The Kabeiroi and Samothrace
Eleusis
Bacchica and Orphica
Bacchic Mysteries
Bacchic Hopes for an
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