Overview

"Emotions vary extensively between cultures, especially in their eliciting conditions, social acceptability, forms of expression, and co-extent of terminology. Envy and Jealousy in Classical Athens examines the sensation, expression, and literary representation of these major emotions in Athens. Previous scholarship has primarily taken a lexical approach, focusing on usage of the Greek words phthonos and zêlos. This has value, but also limitations, for two reasons: the discreditable nature of phthonos renders its ascription or disclamation suspect, and there is no Classical Greek label for sexual jealousy. A complementary approach is therefore required, one which reads the expressed values and actions of entire situations. Building on recent developments in reading emotion ""scripts"" in classical texts, this book applies to Athenian culture and literature insights on the contexts, conscious and subconscious motivations, subjective manifestations, and indicative behaviors of envy, jealousy, and related emotions. These critical insights are derived from modern philosophical, psychological, psychoanalytical, sociological, and anthropological scholarship, thus enabling an exploration of both the explicit theorization and evaluation of envy and jealousy, and also the more oblique ways in which they find expression across different genres-in particular philosophy, oratory, comedy, and tragedy. By employing this new methodology, Ed Sanders illuminates a significant and underexplored aspect of Classical Athenian culture and literature."

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9780199897728

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Sanders' analysis of specific literary texts presents them in such a fresh light that the reader will turn to these well-known works with refreshed curiosity - this is not a minor achievement. ... Sanders' book is a precious and enviable contribution both to the history of emotions and to literary studies. Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Envy and Jealousy in Classical Athens is a major contribution to the growing body of literature on emotion in the ancient world. Unlike emotions like love, hatred, and anger, envy often masquerades as other emotions and is difficult to tease out. In this highly original and sophisticated study Sanders draws on both modern and ancient theories of emotion to shed a fascinating light on the nature of envy and jealousy in ancient Athens. His book is a must-read for anyone interested in the emotional life of ancient Athens and in Athenian drama and oratory. --Chris Carey, University College London This important book will make a substantial contribution to the historical study of emotions. Its detailed analysis of representations of envy and jealousy, theoretically aware and methodologically sophisticated, will be of value alike to students of ancient Greek literature and to philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists interested in the cross-cultural study of emotions. --Nick Fisher, Cardiff University

Sanders' analysis of specific literary texts presents them in such a fresh light that the reader will turn to these well-known works with refreshed curiosity - this is not a minor achievement. ... Sanders' book is a precious and enviable contribution both to the history of emotions and to literary studies. --Bryn Mawr Classical Review Envy and Jealousy in Classical Athens is a major contribution to the growing body of literature on emotion in the ancient world. Unlike emotions like love, hatred, and anger, envy often masquerades as other emotions and is difficult to tease out. In this highly original and sophisticated study Sanders draws on both modern and ancient theories of emotion to shed a fascinating light on the nature of envy and jealousy in ancient Athens. His book is a must-read for anyone interested in the emotional life of ancient Athens and in Athenian drama and oratory. --Chris Carey, University College London This important book will make a substantial contribution to the historical study of emotions. Its detailed analysis of representations of envy and jealousy, theoretically aware and methodologically sophisticated, will be of value alike to students of ancient Greek literature and to philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists interested in the cross-cultural study of emotions. --Nick Fisher, Cardiff University

Author Information

Ed Sanders is Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London.

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