Images of Eternal Beauty in Funerary Verse Inscriptions of the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman Periods (Mnemosyne, Supplements)

"In 'Images of Eternal Beauty in Funerary Verse Inscriptions of the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman Periods Andrzej Wypustek provides a study of various forms of poetic heroization that became increasingly widespread in Greek funerary epigram. The deceased were presented as eternally young heroes, oblivious of old age and death, as stars shining with an eternal brightness in heavens or in Ether, or as the ones chosen by the gods, abducted by them to their home in the heavens or married to them in the other world (following the examples of Ganymede, Adonis, Hylas and Persephone). The author demonstrates that, for all their diversity, the common feature of these verse inscriptions was the praise of beauty of the dead"--Publisher's website Images of Eternal Beauty in Funerary Verse Inscriptions of the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman Periods......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 List of Abbreviations......Page 10 Illustrations and Credits......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Alternative Possibilities about the Status of Dead......Page 18 Scholarly Debate......Page 20 Modes and Means of Production......Page 23 Varieties of Experience, Pluralities of Perspectives......Page 27 Individualism and Polemic......Page 30 Between Uniformity and Diversity, towards Interpretation......Page 36 Apotheosis of the Dead in Verse-Inscriptions......Page 42 Gods, Heroes, and Humans......Page 49 Private Defications?......Page 50 Apotheosis in the Ether......Page 52 Epigraphic Testimonies......Page 55 Understanding the Broad Circulation......Page 57 Astral Immortality......Page 61 Apotheosis among the Stars in Verse-Inscriptions......Page 63 The Impact of Imperial Ideology......Page 66 Elite and Popular Appeal......Page 71 Heroic Iconography: Limits of Testimony......Page 78 Ἥρως on Tombs and in Funerary Foundations......Page 81 Heroisation in Funerary Epigrams......Page 84 The Meaning of ἥρως......Page 87 Immortal Gratitude, with Style......Page 91 Heroes, Daemons, and the Dead......Page 94 Epigrams and Consolations......Page 96 The Diverging Semantic Dimensions......Page 99 The Deceased Privileged As Heroes......Page 103 Gods Abducting Mortals......Page 110 Persephone and Hades in Funerary Epigrams......Page 112 Mystic Wedding?......Page 115 Orphic Hypothesis: Epigram for Theophile......Page 117 Persephone, Eleusinia, and the Underworld......Page 125 Brides and Bridegrooms in Their Prime......Page 131 Abduction of Young, Handsome Adonis......Page 134 ‘Those Chosen by Deities Die Young’......Page 138 Epigraphic Testimonies......Page 140 Peculiar Development: Ganymede in Verse-Inscriptions......Page 143 Ganymede in Funerary Art......Page 147 Spirituality or Carnality of the Myth, or Both......Page 150 Zeus, His Thunderbolt, and the Dead......Page 157 Death Caused by Lightning......Page 162 Between Miracles, Allegories, and Fables......Page 165 Isidora, Hylas and the Nymphs......Page 170 The Deceased and Nymphs in Epigrams......Page 175 Meaning: Eschatological, not Soteriological......Page 179 Kουροτρόφοι in the Afterlife......Page 184 Mythological Frame of Reference......Page 190 The Lessons of Sarcophagi......Page 191 Eschatology and Mythopoeia......Page 195 The Beauty and Youth of the Dead in Verse-Inscriptions......Page 198 Polyfunctional and Polysemantic Beauty......Page 203 The Meaning of True Beauty, the Sense of Divine Abduction......Page 204 Celebration of (After)Life......Page 209 Bibliography......Page 214 Index of Ancient Names......Page 250 Index of Subjects......Page 256 Index of Notable Greek Terms......Page 259 Images of Eternal Beauty in Funerary Verse Inscriptions of the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman Periods 4 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 List of Abbreviations 10 Illustrations and Credits 12 Introduction 14 I. Eschatological Themes in Epigrams 18 Alternative Possibilities about the Status of Dead 18 Scholarly Debate 20 Modes and Means of Production 23 Varieties of Experience, Pluralities of Perspectives 27 Individualism and Polemic 30 Between Uniformity and Diversity, towards Interpretation 36 II. The Dead As Gods 42 Apotheosis of the Dead in Verse-Inscriptions 42 Gods, Heroes, and Humans 49 Private Defications? 50 Apotheosis in the Ether 52 Epigraphic Testimonies 55 Understanding the Broad Circulation 57 Astral Immortality 61 Apotheosis among the Stars in Verse-Inscriptions 63 The Impact of Imperial Ideology 66 Elite and Popular Appeal 71 III. The Dead As Heroes 78 Heroic Iconography: Limits of Testimony 78 Ἥρως on Tombs and in Funerary Foundations 81 Heroisation in Funerary Epigrams 84 The Meaning of ἥρως 87 Immortal Gratitude, with Style 91 Heroes, Daemons, and the Dead 94 Epigrams and Consolations 96 The Diverging Semantic Dimensions 99 The Deceased Privileged As Heroes 103 IV. Marriages with the Gods 110 Gods Abducting Mortals 110 Persephone and Hades in Funerary Epigrams 112 Mystic Wedding? 115 Orphic Hypothesis: Epigram for Theophile 117 Persephone, Eleusinia, and the Underworld 125 Brides and Bridegrooms in Their Prime 131 Abduction of Young, Handsome Adonis 134 V. The Deceased As the Chosen Ones and the Lovers of Deities 138 ‘Those Chosen by Deities Die Young’ 138 Epigraphic Testimonies 140 Peculiar Development: Ganymede in Verse-Inscriptions 143 Ganymede in Funerary Art 147 Spirituality or Carnality of the Myth, or Both 150 Zeus, His Thunderbolt, and the Dead 157 Death Caused by Lightning 162 Between Miracles, Allegories, and Fables 165 VI. The Deceased As the Charges of Deities 170 Isidora, Hylas and the Nymphs 170 The Deceased and Nymphs in Epigrams 175 Meaning: Eschatological, not Soteriological 179 Kουροτρόφοι in the Afterlife 184 VII. Overview and Conclusions 190 Mythological Frame of Reference 190 The Lessons of Sarcophagi 191 Eschatology and Mythopoeia 195 The Beauty and Youth of the Dead in Verse-Inscriptions 198 Polyfunctional and Polysemantic Beauty 203 The Meaning of True Beauty, the Sense of Divine Abduction 204 Celebration of (After)Life 209 Bibliography 214 Index of Ancient Names 250 Index of Subjects 256 Index of Notable Greek Terms 259 "In this book Andrzej Wypustek provides a study of various forms of poetic heroization that became increasingly widespread in Greek funerary epigram. The deceased were presented as eternally young heroes, oblivious of old age and death, as stars shining with an eternal brightness in heavens or in Ether, or as the ones chosen by the gods, abducted by them to their home in the heavens or married to them in the other world (following the examples of Ganymede, Adonis, Hylas and Persephone). The author demonstrates that, for all their diversity, the common feature of these verse inscriptions was the praise of beauty of the dead"--OCLC