Beyond Myth: in Search of Archaic Greek Theology

Abstract

The author examines several passages from Homer, Hesiod and the Hymns for content appropriate for religious instruction, a function both traditionally attributed to those works (by Herodotus) and denied them (at the earliest, by Xenophanes). The issues cover theodicy, the nature of deities and their honours, the efficacy of prayer and the meaning of sacrifices and food offering.