The Greek Gods in Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century German and British Scholarship

Abstract

The late 19th and early 20th century is a landmark in the history of the study of the Greek gods. In this paper, I examine key models of interpretation of the Greek gods in Germany and Britain at this period with a focus on Apollo. On the German side, I examine the nature-mythological model of W.H. Roscher, the Sondergötter of H. Usener, and the Universal gods of E. Curtius. On the British side, I look at novel approaches inspired by anthropology and later sociology in the work of L.R. Farnell and J.E. Harrison. I am particularly interested in the ways in which interpretation reflected the values and the agendas of the interpreter and his/her times.