Description
Book SynopsisPlato, Aristophanes and the creators of the 'Orphic' gold tablets employ the traditional tale of a journey to the realm of the dead to redefine the boundaries of their societies. The narratives in this 2004 book reveal their meanings through close analysis of the specific ways in which each makes use of the tradition.
Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'Edmonds is a lively and intelligent guide to the many forks and detours on the journey. … anyone with an interest in Greek eschatology will find it a stimulating book.' JACT
Review of the hardback: '… provides solid, interesting, and helpful insights'. Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Review of the hardback: 'This is an enterprising, enjoyable, and scholarly book … Edmonds' extensive treatment of the gold funerary lamellae should help to make those puzzling but fascinating texts better known, and his discussions of both the Frogs and the Phaedo deserve close attention from anyone seriously interested in those very different yet mythologically related works. Edmonds' arguments are always informative and thought-provoking, even where they prompt disagreement.' Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Review of the hardback: '… stimulating … Edmond's approach leads to some intriguing discussion, and he does show how careful attention to the way the elements of a traditional tale are reworked in each telling can uncover hidden complexities.' Journal of Hellenic Studies
Review of the hardback: '… convincingly analyses how extensively Plato in the Phaedo redefines the ritual purity of the mysteries and funeral rites and traditional elements in mortuary journeys … The fascination for the reader in this analysis, as in Edmond's earlier ones, will be found in the details.' Raymond J. Clark, University of Ottowa
Table of Contents1. Introduction: the start of the journey; 2. Roadmaps of déviance: the 'Orphic' gold tablets; 3. Descent into the depths of comedy: The Frogs of Aristophanes; 4. The upward path of philosophy: the myth in Plato's Phaedo; 5. Conclusions: the end of the road.
