Description
The tales told of Orpheus are legion. He is said to have been an Argonaut--and to have saved Jason's life. Rivers are reported to have stopped their flow to listen to the sounds of his lyre and his voice. Plato cites his poetry and Herodotus refers to practices that are called Orphic. Did Orpheus, in fact, exist? His influence on Greek thought is undeniable, but his disciples left little of substance behind them. Indeed, their Orphic precepts have been lost to time.
W.K.C. Guthrie attempts to uncover and define Orphism by following its circuitous path through ancient history. He tackles this daunting task with the determination of a detective and the analytical rigor of a classical scholar. He ferries his readers with him on a singular voyage of discovery.Author: William Keith Guthrie
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 10/10/1993
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.92lbs
Size: 8.53h x 5.59w x 0.86d
ISBN13: 9780691024998
ISBN10: 0691024995
BISAC Categories:
- Religion | Antiquities & Archaeology
- Philosophy | History & Surveys | Ancient & Classical
- Social Science | General
About the Author
W.K.C. Guthrie was Professor of Classics at Cambridge University. His books include the six-volume History of Classical Philosophy (Cambridge) and The Greeks and their Gods (Methuen).