The Presence of Death in the Public Space in Classical Athens: Displays and Suppressions, II: The Death od Humans
2013
Abstract
The second part of the study on death in classical Athens (the first part was published in the previous issue) demonstrates that human death was expelled as much as possible from the public space. First, it addresses the Greek notion of ritual pollution connected with death.
Then it shows how the public dimension of private burials was restricted by the Solonian funerary legislation and how different, in this respect, were public burials of the war dead. Finally, different methods of executing people are explored in connection with the question whether there was a common practice of public executions comparable with the theatrical executions of premodern Europe.
The positive answer of some previous scholars is challenged.