Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood
Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood (Greek: Χριστιάνα Σουρβίνου; February 26, 1945 – May 19, 2007) was a scholar in the field of Ancient Greek religion and one of the most influential Hellenists.
Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood | |
---|---|
Born | Volos, Greece | February 26, 1945
Died | May 19, 2007 62) Oxford, UK | (aged
Nationality | Greek |
Spouse(s) | Michael Inwood |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | University of Athens (BA), University of Oxford (DPhil) |
Thesis | Minoan and Mycenaean Afterlife Beliefs (1973) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Classics |
Sub-discipline | Ancient Greek religion; classical archaeology |
Institutions | University of Reading |
Notable works | "What is Polis Religion" and "Further Aspects of Polis Religion" (1990, republished in 2000), "Reading" Greek Culture (1991) |
Biography
Sourvinou-Inwood was born in Volos, Greece, in 1945, but grew up in Corfu. Sourvinou-Inwood studied at the University of Athens, and began research in the field of Mycenology in Rome and later in Athens.
She graduated from Oxford in 1973 with a doctorate on Minoan civilization and Mycenaean beliefs in the afterlife. She was a lecturer in classical archaeology at Liverpool (1976–78),[1] and a senior research Fellow at University College, Oxford (1990–95). She also worked as Reader in Classical Literature at the University of Reading (1995–98).
Career and Influence
Sourvinou-Inwood has been praised for the clarity and directness of her approach. In the words of a colleague, "she wanted scholars to abandon fashionable assumptions" and "to read ancient texts through the eyes of their contemporary readers"[2].
According to the University of Reading Classics Department, Sourvinou-Inwood's acknowledged supremacy in the area of Greek religion studies made a lasting contribution to the Department's research, and this field continues to be one of its strongholds in the twenty-first century.[3]
Polis-Religion Model
One of Sourvinou-Inwood's most influential works was her development of the 'Polis-religion' model. This was originally explored in two articles, entitled "What is Polis Religion?" and "Further Aspects of Polis Religion".[4]
Honours
- Carl Newell Jackson Lectures at Harvard University (1994)[5]
Selected bibliography
- Theseus as Son and Stepson: A Tentative Illustration of Greek Mythological Mentality (1979); ISBN 0900587393
- Studies in Girls' Transitions: Aspects of the Arkteia and Age Representation in Attic Iconography (1988)
- "Reading" Greek Culture: Texts and Images, Rituals and Myths (1991); ISBN 0-19-814750-3[6]
- "Reading" Greek Death: To the End of the Classical Period (1995); ISBN 019814976X
- "What is Polis Religion?" and "Further Aspects of Polis Religion" in Oxford Readings in Greek Religion (edited by Richard Buxton 2000)
- Tragedy and Athenian Religion (2003); ISBN 0739104004
- Athenian Myths and Festivals: Aglauros, Erechtheus, Plynteria, Panathenaia, Dionysia (posthumously edited and published by Robert Parker 2011); ISBN 9780199592074
Novels
- Murder Most Classical (under the pseudonym Christiana Elfwood, 2007); ISBN 978-1843863571
- Murder at the City Dionysia (2008); ISBN 978-1843864745
- Murder near the Sanctuary (2008); ISBN 978-1843864752
Notes
- Parker, Robert (2007-05-30). "Obituary: Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood". the Guardian. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- "Through ancient eyes: Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood – TheTLS". TheTLS. 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
- https://www.reading.ac.uk/classics/about/class-history.aspx A Short History of Reading's Classics Department
- Originally published in The Greek city: from Homer to Alexander (1990) edited by Oswyn Murray and Simon Price and republished in Oxford Readings in Greek Religion (2000) edited by Richard Buxton
- Resulting in the publication of Sourvinou-Inwood, Christiane (2003). Tragedy and Athenian Religion. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739104002.
- Barringer, Judith M. (4 March 2014). "Review of "Reading" Greek Culture". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. Retrieved 23 January 2017.