L’Antichità alla luce delle scienze sociali. Le liturgie ateniesi
(2014) Ricerche a confronto — Location: Dipartimento di Storia Antica, Università degli studi di Bologna (27.April.2012)
Files
No attached file found for this publication.
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- The aim of this research is an interdisciplinary study. Having recourse to concepts and tools developed by social sciences, we would revisit the Athenian liturgical system and intend, more particularly, to interpret several aspects of this institution in the light of modern oblative theories. The paper starts with a survey of the liturgical organisation (λειτουργίαι) in classical Athens. We focus on two distinct forms of this state public state assumed by wealthy citizens: the trierarchy and the choregy. We then confront this ancient argument to modern gift notions and pinpoint several interesting features. The liturgical object covers a double investment in terms of time and money about a precise activity, with only a few space of freedom. We then observe the existence of three types of actors within the liturgical system. On the giver’s side, there are the liturgists characterised by affluence and political activity. They constitute a reduced part of the population and show contrasted attitudes toward their duty. On the recipient’s side, we surprisingly find the gods as well as, more obviously, the citizens (globally but also, to some extent, individually). The gift relationship does not appear in its classical interpersonal form. Moreover, we distinguish two kinds of return gift according to their certainty level. The liturgical system is finally examined with regard to its impact on social cohesion. Beyond the limits of the confrontation, the socio-anthropological perspective reveals its relevance to highlight the main features of the Athenian liturgical system.
- Affiliations
Citations
Degand, M. (2014). L’Antichità alla luce delle scienze sociali. Le liturgie ateniesi. Ricerche a confronto. Dialoghi di Antichità Classiche e del Vicino Oriente (Bologna-Roma-Torino, 2012). Accepted/in-press. Ricerche a confronto, Dipartimento di Storia Antica, Università degli studi di Bologna. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/230471