Forms and legal aspects of religious associations in ancient Athens
Religious associations have been the subject of exhaustive treatment during the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. The present thesis does not aim to challenge their detailed examination, but rather to reassess the validity of their arguments and conclusions concerning Athenian cult associations, in the light of new pieces of evidence. The Introduction sets the chronological and methodological limits of the thesis. Chapters 1 to 4 discuss the available literary and epigraphical evidence concerning associations of orhogammaepsilononuepsilons, of heroes and goddesses, thetaiotaalphasigmaotaualphaiota and epsilonrhoalphanuiotasigmataualphaiota respectively as well as concommitant matters such as impiety and the relation between enktesis and approval of a cult. Chapter 5 is an attempt to criticise the view that the concept of juristic personality is a proper methodological tool for the comprehension of the associative life and to test a new approach based on the Aristotelian paradigm. In Chapter 6 the social functions of the cult associations are examined, through the application of hermeneutic models like ~euergetism~, ~rituals of conviviality~, patronage etc. In the Conclusions I summarise the principal
Arnaoutoglou, Ilias N.
Forms and legal aspects of religious associations in ancient Athens. Religious associations have been the subject of exhaustive treatment during the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. The present thesis does not aim to challenge their detailed examination, but rather to reassess the validity of their arguments and conclusions concerning Athenian cult associations, in the light of new pieces of evidence. The Introduction sets the chronological and methodological limits of the thesis. Chapters 1 to 4 discuss the available literary and epigraphical evidence concerning associations of orhogammaepsilononuepsilons, of heroes and goddesses, thetaiotaalphasigmaotaualphaiota and epsilonrhoalphanuiotasigmataualphaiota respectively as well as concommitant matters such as impiety and the relation between enktesis and approval of a cult. Chapter 5 is an attempt to criticise the view that the concept of juristic personality is a proper methodological tool for the comprehension of the associative life and to test a new approach based on the Aristotelian paradigm. In Chapter 6 the social functions of the cult associations are examined, through the application of hermeneutic models like ~euergetism~, ~rituals of conviviality~, patronage etc. In the Conclusions I summarise the principal
forms legal aspect religious association ancient athens religious association subject exhaustive treatment present_aim challenge detailed_examination rather reassess validity argument_conclusion concern athenian cult association light_new piece evidence introduction_set chronological methodological limit thesis discus available literary epigraphical evidence_concern association hero goddess respectively well matter relation approval cult attempt criticise view concept personality proper methodological_tool comprehension associative life test new base aristotelian paradigm social_function cult association examine application hermeneutic model like patronage etc conclusions summarise principal