The Invention of Greek Ethnography: From Homer to HerodotusGreek ethnography is commonly believed to have developed in conjunction with the wider sense of Greek identity that emerged during the Greeks' "encounter with the barbarian"--Achaemenid Persia--during the late sixth to early fifth centuries BC. The dramatic nature of this meeting, it was thought, caused previous imaginings to crystallise into the diametric opposition between "Hellene" and "barbarian" that would ultimately give rise to ethnographic prose. The Invention of Greek Ethnography challenges the legitimacy of this conventional narrative. Drawing on recent advances in ethnographic and cultural studies and in the material culture-based analyses of the Ancient Mediterranean, Joseph Skinner argues that ethnographic discourse was already ubiquitous throughout the archaic Greek world, not only in the form of texts but also in a wide range of iconographic and archaeological materials. As such, it can be differentiated both on the margins of the Greek world, like in Olbia and Calabria and in its imagined centers, such as Delphi and Olympia. The reconstruction of this "ethnography before ethnography" demonstrates that discourses of identity and difference played a vital role in defining what it meant to be Greek in the first place long before the fifth century BC. The development of ethnographic writing and historiography are shown to be rooted in this wider process of "positioning" that was continually unfurling across time, as groups and individuals scattered the length and breadth of the Mediterranean world sought to locate themselves in relation to the narratives of the past. This shift in perspective provided by The Invention of Greek Ethnography has significant implications for current understanding of the means by which a sense of Greek identity came into being, the manner in which early discourses of identity and difference should be conceptualized, and the way in which so-called "Great Historiography," or narrative history, should ultimately be interpreted. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 37
Page 8
... conceptual baggage as to what ethnography “proper” entails. Once any distorting influences or preconceptions have been stripped away we will be better placed to comprehend the manner in which questions of identity were discursively ...
... conceptual baggage as to what ethnography “proper” entails. Once any distorting influences or preconceptions have been stripped away we will be better placed to comprehend the manner in which questions of identity were discursively ...
Page 14
... concepts of otherness and the portrayal of foreigners in general, see Moers 2010; Kamal forthcoming (Egypt), Weigui 2001; Kim 2009; di Cosmo 2010 (China), Pu 2005 (the Ancient Near East). Cf. Gruen 2005a for Jewish perceptions of Persia ...
... concepts of otherness and the portrayal of foreigners in general, see Moers 2010; Kamal forthcoming (Egypt), Weigui 2001; Kim 2009; di Cosmo 2010 (China), Pu 2005 (the Ancient Near East). Cf. Gruen 2005a for Jewish perceptions of Persia ...
Page 19
... concept of identity is often articulated in a vague and contradictory manner, reflecting a variety of opinions as to how such questions should be addressed (if at all).70 Attempts to identify the point at which the ethnogenesis of “the ...
... concept of identity is often articulated in a vague and contradictory manner, reflecting a variety of opinions as to how such questions should be addressed (if at all).70 Attempts to identify the point at which the ethnogenesis of “the ...
Page 20
... concepts and values following a specific historical event: “the encounter with the barbarian.”72 Such confusion is not altogether surprising, however, given the complexity of the processes involved and the very nature of the evidence ...
... concepts and values following a specific historical event: “the encounter with the barbarian.”72 Such confusion is not altogether surprising, however, given the complexity of the processes involved and the very nature of the evidence ...
Page 22
... concepts of “Greek” culture and identity, self and other. Bridging the gap between the empirical study of the material record and the more ephemeral world of the abstract imaginaire is far from straightforward—not least because it ...
... concepts of “Greek” culture and identity, self and other. Bridging the gap between the empirical study of the material record and the more ephemeral world of the abstract imaginaire is far from straightforward—not least because it ...
Contents
3 | |
CHAPTER 2 Populating the Imaginaire | 59 |
CHAPTER 3 Mapping Ethnography | 111 |
CHAPTER 4 Mapping Identities | 151 |
CHAPTER 5 The Invention of Greek Ethnography | 233 |
Abbreviations | 259 |
Bibliography | 263 |
Index | 327 |
Other editions - View all
The Invention of Greek Ethnography: From Homer to Herodotus Joseph E. Skinner No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
activity ancient appear approach Archaic argued argument associated Athens attempt attributed authors barbarian Cambridge century b.c. chapter Classical coins concepts concerning constructed context cult cultural Cyrene dating defined depicted described detailed difference discourse discussion early effectively emergence engagement entirely equally ethnic ethnographic evidence example extent fact fifth century figure foreign further Greek groups Hall Hellenic Herodotus Homeric ideas identity images imagined important indicative individuals interest interpreted Italy knowledge lands largely least linked Malkin manner material matter means Mediterranean myth narrative nature objects Olbia origins Oxford particular perhaps period Persian played political populations practice prose questions range recent references reflect regarding region relating remains represent result role sanctuaries Scythian sense significant sixth social society suggests thought tion trade traditions University Press variety various widely wider