Language and Cosmos in Greece and Mesopotamia
- Author: Jacobo Myerston, University of California, San Diego
- Date Published: April 2023
- availability: Available
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9781009289924
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Theorizing about language and its place in the world began long before Plato and Aristotle. In this book, Jacobo Myerston traces the trajectories of various proto-linguistic traditions that circulated between Greece and Mesopotamia before the institutionalization of Greek philosophy. By following the threads of transcultural conversations, the author shows the impact of Mesopotamian semantics and hermeneutics on early Greek thinkers. He reconstructs the Greek appropriation of Mesopotamian semantics while arguing that, despite geographical distance and cultural constraints, the Greeks adopted and transformed Babylonian cosmological and linguistic concepts in a process leading to new discoveries. This book covers conceptions of signification present in cuneiform word lists, esoteric syllabaries, commentaries, literary texts like Enuma elish, Gilgamesh, Hesiod's Theogony, and the Homeric Hymns as well as the philosophical commentary preserved in the Derveni papyrus.
Read more- Identifies the existence of complex cosmological, linguistic, and philosophical ideas before the rise of Greek philosophy in areas outside Greece, offering a cross-cultural perspective of the history of linguistic concepts
- Studies the exchange of ideas between Greece and Mesopotamia from a new perspective and theoretical framework
- Demonstrates how knowledge can be constructed across distance despite supposed geographical and linguistic barriers
Reviews & endorsements
'I hold this book in high regard for its innovative approach. It ventures beyond the territory of Babylonian-Greek cultural exchanges to chart the journey of a singular idea across these two civilizations. This approach not only uncovers shared interests and similar ways of engaging with these interests across cultural variations but also illuminates the often-neglected field of language theory in Assyriology. This exploration is enlightening and engaging, suggesting that applying similar methodologies to other concepts and theories could reveal further commonalities between ancient cultures.' Lucrezia Menicatti, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
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×Product details
- Date Published: April 2023
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9781009289924
- length: 228 pages
- dimensions: 235 x 158 x 16 mm
- weight: 0.42kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
1. Babylonian Theories of Language
2 Language and Cosmos in the Epic of Creation
3. Hesiod, Language, and the Names of Ishtar
4. Orpheus' Cosmic Names.
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