Was Greek thought religious? : on the use and abuse of Hellenism, from Rome to romanticism /

The title provokes dismay: another romantic philhellenic tract? The subtitle better indicates the argument. Ruprecht (Mercer Univ.) studies religion, not classics or history, but demonstrates his (usually) adequate command of ancient and modern sources. He does not explain any construct denominated "Greek thought," because from Homer to (say) Cavafy, Hellenic discourse has always been imbued, if not saturated, with what post-Enlightenment readers categorize as "religion." Ruprecht offers an essay on "the appropriation of Hellenism" from Platonic dialogues to Pausanias, the second-century CE periegete (traveler), on to emperor Julian, the romantic and ineffectual "apostate." Ruprecht then leads the reader through the Byzantine iconoclastic controversy (a weak chapter), with an interesting, if not convincing, diversion to renascence (i.e., Shakespearean) drama, on to a nuanced, informed survey of 19th-century philhellenes: the poet Byron, the antiquarian Cockerell, the Teutonic tourist J.M. Wagner (here one misses romantic Goethe among pristine Sicilian Greek ruins), on to Coubertin's incredibly idealistic reinvention of the Olympics. Chronological charts and detailed notes instruct; the lack of an index hinders utility. On balance, an enjoyable read, sure to inform readers seeking specific context and examples for the impact of Hellenic ideals on the Western, romantic consciousness. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General and all academic levels/collections. P. B. Harvey, Jr. Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus