This is both a defense of the importance of aristocrats in Greek society and a reassessment of their social, cultural and political roles. The author provides a concise portrait of the aristocratic way of life, the roots and nature of aristocrats' economic power, their patronage of the arts, and the influence they had on the way the Greeks visualized their gods. A concluding chapter examines the lasting influence of the aristocratic ideal in late Western history.
Keywords: aristocratic ideal, Greek society, gods, patronage
Print publication date: 1992 | Print ISBN-13: 9780195074581 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: October 2011 | DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195074581.001.0001 |