The Early Greek Concept of the Soul

169 Pages·1983·10.48 MB·English

by  Jan N. Bremmer

Published for the Center
for Hellenic Studies
T HE
E A R LY G R E EK
C O N C E PT OF
T HE S O UL
Jan Bremmer
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Copyright © 1983 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press,
41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University
Press, Guildford, Surrey
Ail Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication
Data will be found on the last printed page
of this book
Publication of this book has been aided by
a grant from the Paul Mellon Fund of Princeton
University Press
This book has been composed in Linotron Primer
Clothbound editions of Princeton University
Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and binding materials are chosen for
strength and durability
Printed in the United States of America
by Princeton University Press,
Princeton, New Jersey
To My Parents

Contents
Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations xi
ONE. THE SOUL 3
TWO. THE SOUL OF THE LIVING 13
The Free Soul
The Ego Souls
The Soul Animals
Conclusion
THREE. THE SOUL OF THE DEAD 70
The Soul at the Moment of Death
Human and Theriomorphic Manifestations
of the Deceased
The Relation between the Soul and the Body of the Dead
Funeral Rites and the Soul
A Return of the Dead?
Conclusion
Appendix One. The Soul of Plants and Animals 125
Appendix Two. The Wandering Soul in Western
European Folk Tradition 132
Selected Bibliography 137
Index of Passages 141 General Index 145

Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK developed from a thesis defended at the Free
University of Amsterdam in 1979, and it is with deep grat­
itude that I thank Professor G.J.D. Aalders for his able and
pleasant supervision of my work and Professor D. M. Schen-
keveld, who acted as co-referent, for his valuable criticism.
I also owe special thanks to Professor Walter Burkert of
Zürich for his early interest in this study, his many com­
ments, and, above all, for the inspiration his work has been—
and still is—for my own interest in Greek religion.
I am especially indebted to those friends and colleagues
who read and criticized the entire manuscript or parts of it:
Richard Buxton, who in addition corrected the English of
the dissertation, John Gould, Fritz Graf, Albert Henrichs,
A. Hoekstra, Theo Korteweg, Gregory Nagy, Robert Parker,
F. T. van Straten, and H. S. Versnel. Others who helped
me in different ways are my brother Rolf, my mother-in-
law Mrs. E, V. Bartlett, Peter Burian, Richard Kraut, Hans
Teitler, and Sietze Wiersma. The support of the Netherlands
Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.)
enabled me to do part of my research at Oxford.
The final revisions and additions were written at the Cen­
ter for Hellenic Studies in Washington D. C, and I owe
grateful thanks to Bernard Knox for his help and advice,
and for extending the hospitality of the center far beyond
the time that was due to me.
ix