Overview

This work considers two questions: whether or not the Homeric gods are concerned with ""justice"" in human society; and what mechanism controls the social behaviour of Homeric man. It shows that the gods distribute good and bad fortune to men not in response to their moral behaviour, but as required by fate; men, however ""believe"" that the gods are concerned with human morality, and subsequently their behaviour is restrained by their faith in the moral gods as well as by many other forces, social and emotional. This volume, taken as a whole, serves as a sustained critique of two influential works in the field: ""The Justice of Zeus"" by H. Lloyd-Jones and ""Merit and Responsibility"" by A.W.H. Adkins. It should be of interest to readers with some knowledge of the Greek language and with interests in Homer, Greek religion and/or the development of Greek ethical thinking and moral concepts.

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9789004098725

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Reviews

' This excellent book is written in a remarkably clear and easy style. Never dull or otiose... ' Barry Powell, Bryn Mawr Classical Review , 1994. ' ...students as well as scholars, and ethicists and philosophers as well as classicists will find Yamagata's book a treasure. ' Larry J. Alderink, Religious Studies Review , 1995. 'Homeric Morality has many merits: it is comprehensive in discussing the morality of gods as well as that of mortals; it is remarkably (for Homeric scholarship!) sane and to the point; and it supports its argument by a mass of illustrative material. In other words, it scores high marks for presentation and in its assessment of the views of others, e.g., Lloyd-Jones and Adkins. ' Greece and Rome , 1995.

' This excellent book is written in a remarkably clear and easy style. Never dull or otiose...'<br>Barry Powell, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 1994.<br>'.. .students as well as scholars, and ethicists and philosophers as well as classicists will find Yamagata's book a treasure.'<br>Larry J. Alderink, Religious Studies Review, 1995.<br>'Homeric Morality has many merits: it is comprehensive in discussing the morality of gods as well as that of mortals; it is remarkably (for Homeric scholarship!) sane and to the point; and it supports its argument by a mass of illustrative material. In other words, it scores high marks for presentation and in its assessment of the views of others, e.g., Lloyd-Jones and Adkins.'<br> Greece and Rome, 1995.<br>

Author Information

Naoko Yamagata is a British Academy Research Fellow at University College, London. She obtained her Ph.D. in Classics from London University in 1990. She is currently engaged in a comparative study of the Homeric and medieval Japanese epic traditions.

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