Abstract
idea that modern Greece can have any teaching to impart concerning the beliefs of more than two thousand years ago seems seldom to have been entertained. These words, written by J. C. Lawson at the beginning of his pioneering study Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion (Cambridge 1910; reprinted 1964) over half a century ago now, may have lost a large measure of their validity in the wake of recent studies in social anthropology. Even so, the ancient world still contains some dark corners which the customs of modern Greece may legitimately be called in to illuminate. One such dark corner is the main subject of this short paper. It may best be introduced by a short passage from the third idyll of Theocritus. Here, by a typical Hellenistic inversion of the norm, the ????? is taken out of its customary urban setting and transposed into the open countryside. The comast serenades his lovely Amaryllis before her cave, but in vain. His love is unrequited, as Agroeo, the local fortune-teller, has told him :
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
