Ancient Supplication

This is the first book-length treatment of supplication, an important social practice in ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Despite the importance of supplication, it has received little attention, and no previous study has explored so many aspects of the practice. Naiden investigates the varied gestures made by the supplicants, the types of requests they make, the arguments used in defense of their requests, and the role of the supplicandus, who evaluates and decides whether to fulfill the requests. Varied and abundant sources invite comparison between the societies of Greece and Rome and also among literary genres. Additionally, Naiden formulates an analysis of the ritual in its legal and political contexts. In constructing this rich and thorough study, Naiden considered over 800 acts of supplication from Greek, Hebrew, and Roman literature, art, and scientific sources. 30 illustrations and a map of the relevant locations accompany the text. "In Ancient Supplication, the first book-length treatment of the subject, F.S. Naiden establishes the centrality of supplication to our understanding of ancient society. He investigates the varied gestures made by the suppliants, the types of requests they tender, the arguments used in defense of requests, and the role of the supplicandus, who evaluates and decides whether to fulfill the requests. Naiden formulates an analysis of the practice in its sacred and social aspect, articulating literary, legal, and political dimensions. In constructing this analysis, he considered more than 800 acts of supplication from Greek, Hebrew, and Roman literature and varied visual sources. The variety and abundance of these sources allow him to establish a typology of supplication, inviting comparison between diverse societies. Numerous illustrations and a map of relevant locations accompany the text. Classicists will benefit from Naiden's treatment of familiar passages while historians and legal scholars will find that a deeper understanding of supplication lends a new context to their own fields of study."--Jacket ## Abstract This is the first book-length treatment of supplication, an important social practice in ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Despite the importance of supplication, it has received little attention, and no previous study has explored so many aspects of the practice. This book investigates the varied gestures made by the suppliants, the types of requests they make, the arguments used in defense of their requests, and the role of the supplicandus, who evaluates and decides whether to fulfill the requests. Varied and abundant sources invite comparison between the societies of Greece, especially Athens, and the Roman Republic and Principate and also among literary genres such as epic and tragedy. Additionally, this book formulates an analysis of the ritual in its legal and political contexts. This text looks at a key religious practice in ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Besides setting forth a typology that applies to many acts of supplication in both Greek and Latin sources, it traces the links between a quasi-legal practice into features of Greek and Roman legal systems