The cows and culture in the world of the ancient GreeksMcInerney, Jeremy1958-creatortextbibliographyElectronic books.HistorynjuPrinceton, N.JPrinceton University Press©20102010monographicenggrc1 online resource (xvii, 340 pages) : illustrationsThough Greece is traditionally seen as an agrarian society, cattle were essential to Greek communal life, through religious sacrifice and dietary consumption. Cattle were also pivotal in mythology: gods and heroes stole cattle, expected sacrifices of cattle, and punished those who failed to provide them. The Cattle of the Sun ranges over a wealth of sources, both textual and archaeological, to explore why these animals mattered to the Greeks, how they came to be a key element in Greek thought and behavior, and how the Greeks exploited the symbolic value of cattle as a way of structuring social and economic relations. Jeremy McInerney explains that cattle's importance began with domestication and pastoralism: cattle were nurtured, bred, killed, and eaten. Practically useful and symbolically potent, cattle became social capital to be exchanged, offered to the gods, or consumed collectively. This circulation of cattle wealth structured Greek society, since dedication to the gods, sacrifice, and feasting constituted the most basic institutions of Greek life. McInerney shows that cattle contributed to the growth of sanctuaries in the Greek city-states, as well as to changes in the economic practices of the Greeks, from the Iron Age through the classical period, as a monetized, market economy developed from an earlier economy of barter and exchange. Combining a broad theoretical approach with a careful reading of sources, The Cattle of the Sun illustrates the significant position that cattle held in the culture and experiences of the Greeks.Cattle habits -- The paradoxes of pastoralism -- Cattle systems in Bronze Age Greece -- Epic consumption -- Heroes and gods -- Gods, cattle, and space -- Sacred economics -- Cities and cattle business -- Sacred law -- Authority and value -- Conclusions.Jeremy McInerney.Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-334) and index.e-gr---CattleGreeceHistoryPastoral systemsGreeceHistoryCattleGreeceReligious aspectsHistoryAnimal sacrificeGreeceHistoryFasts and feastsGreeceHistoryCattle tradeGreeceHistoryGreeceHistoryTo 146 B.CGreeceReligious life and customsGreeceEconomic conditionsTo 146 B.CNational characteristics, GreekHistoryTECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERINGAgricultureAnimal HusbandryRELIGIONAntiquities & ArchaeologyAnimal sacrificeCattleCattleReligious aspectsCattle tradeEconomic historyFasts and feastsNational characteristics, GreekPastoral systemsGreece To 146 B.C. fast SF196.G8 M38 2010eb636.20938McInerney, Jeremy, 1958-Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, ©2010(DLC) 2009039945(OCoLC)44928398797814008348771400834872260750 MIL22573/cttwc54 JSTORhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=329781http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=329781N$T10083020200709055257.0ocn659563522eng