Patterns of the Past

Classical Greek consistently uses epitēdeumata to signify 'way of life' or even 'everyday habits', but always refers to practices that are deliberately pursued, not traditions and customs that are passively carried on. In this volume, an international group of leading academics undertake an examination of epitēdeumata in Greek history, looking at cultural practices as acts which relate meaningfully to perceived sequences of past acts. In doing so, the contributors ask what kinds of attitudes the ancient Greeks had towards their past, and what behaviour such attitudes provoked. Each of the original contributions to this collection focuses on different kinds of epitēdeumata as act patterns in the Greek world, incorporating religion and myth, political behaviour, sexuality, and historiography.