Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002
Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-215) and index
1. Myth and Ritual: Hero Worship in Greece and the Origins of the Theseus Myth; 2. Benevolent Dictators and the Paradox of a Democratic King; 3. The Trozenian Outsider; 4. The Hero-King; 5. The Democratic Ruler; 6. Theseus at Colonus; 7. Theseus Enters History; Bibliography; Index
Theseus is celebrated as the greatest of Athenian heroes. This work explores what he meant to the Athenians at the height of their city-state in the fifth century B.C. Assembling material that has been scattered in scholarly works, Henry Walker examines the evidence for the development of the myth and cult of Theseus in the archaic age. He then looks to major works of classical literature in which Theseus figures, exploring the contradictions between the archaic, primitive side of his character and his refurbished image as the patron of democracy. His ambiguous nature as outsider, flouting acc
