Karia and Krete : a study in social and cultural interaction
My thesis focuses on social and cultural interaction between Karia (in south western Anatolia) and Krete, over a long time span; from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. A persistent tradition existed in antiquity linking the Karians with Krete; this was mirrored in civic mythologies in Karia, as well as in cults and toponyms. My research aims to construct a new framework in which to read these traditions. The way in which a community ârememberedâ its past was not an objective view of history; traditions were transmitted because they were considered to reflect something about a society. The persistence of a Kretan link within Karian mythologies and cults indicates that Krete was âgood to think withâ even (or especially) during a period when Karia itself was undergoing changes (becoming, in a sense, both âde-Karianizedâ and âHellenizedâ). I focus on the late Classical and Hellenistic periods, from which most of our source material derives. The relevance of a shared past is considered in light of actual contacts between the two regions: diplomatic, economic, cultural and military. Against the prevailing orthodoxy, which maintains that traditions of earlier contacts, affinities and kinship between
Carless Unwin, N. H.
Karia and Krete : a study in social and cultural interaction. My thesis focuses on social and cultural interaction between Karia (in south western Anatolia) and Krete, over a long time span; from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. A persistent tradition existed in antiquity linking the Karians with Krete; this was mirrored in civic mythologies in Karia, as well as in cults and toponyms. My research aims to construct a new framework in which to read these traditions. The way in which a community ârememberedâ its past was not an objective view of history; traditions were transmitted because they were considered to reflect something about a society. The persistence of a Kretan link within Karian mythologies and cults indicates that Krete was âgood to think withâ even (or especially) during a period when Karia itself was undergoing changes (becoming, in a sense, both âde-Karianizedâ and âHellenizedâ). I focus on the late Classical and Hellenistic periods, from which most of our source material derives. The relevance of a shared past is considered in light of actual contacts between the two regions: diplomatic, economic, cultural and military. Against the prevailing orthodoxy, which maintains that traditions of earlier contacts, affinities and kinship between
study social_cultural interaction focus social_cultural interaction south_western anatolia long_time span bronze age_roman period persistent tradition exist antiquity link mirror civic mythology well cult aim construct_new framework read tradition way community remember past objective view history tradition transmit consider reflect something society persistence link within mythology cults indicate good think even especially period undergoing change become sense focus late classical_hellenistic period source_material derives relevance share past consider_light actual contact two_region diplomatic economic_cultural military prevail orthodoxy maintain tradition earlier contact affinity kinship