Ritual Problems

Much like many other ancient phenomena, the rituals of the Greeks continue to both vex and intrigue through their diverse particularities and their often elusive meanings.The title of the first work under review, Offrir en Grèce ancienne, reflects a misleading definitiveness in that regard: this is not a comprehensive treatise on the notion of 'offering' in ancient Greece. 1 Rather, it is the subtitle that should probably retain one's attention: gestes et contextes.Herein lies one of the (underplayed) strengths of the book: the idea of 'offering'-be it donation, dedication or gift-giving-as a gesture, and the careful study of the context surrounding this ritual act.Patera's purpose is to revisit and deconstruct various theoretical perspectives on this notion of 'offering' in a sacred context.Her introduction affirms, with good reason, a wish to steer clear of an overarching theory of the 'gift'.Instead, she argues that one must attempt to assemble a wide body of evidence from various sources in order to achieve an overview of the subject. 2 Yet while P. shows an acute awareness of terminological quagmires, she never really pauses to ask the question whether "offrir" or "offrandes" are themselves problematic terms."Are these useful categories of thought?", one periodically feels compelled to ask.It seems that the author's desire is only to cautiously elucidate the complex and sometimes contradictory realities that underlie the notion of 'offering'.But, inevitably, she often runs the risk of falling into the traps that she has just exposed.For instance, she early on claims to leave deliberately aside "les oeuvres monumentales qui ponctuent les grands sanctuaires selon des règles propres" in order to examine the "piété quotidienne" of the Greeks through "offrandes ordinaires" (p.11).But we immediately find out that her data set will include inscriptions (usually expensive), which when written on dedications "montre[nt] le soin pris à exposer la * The following new works are reviewed here: I

Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Computer Science · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History

• Reflections on Sacrifice and Purification in the Greek World

  Open Access•Stella Georgoudi•Animal Sacrifice in the Ancient…•2017

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• S’adresser aux dieux en deux langues

  Open Access•Carole Bonnet, Marcelle Martim Bianco et al.•Parcours anthropologiques•2018

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