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Civic Rites explores the religious origins of Western democracy by examining the government of fifth-century BCE Athens in the larger context of ancient Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Deftly combining history, politics, and religion to weave together stories of democracy's first leaders and critics, Nancy Evans gives readers a contemporary's perspective on Athenian society. She vividly depicts the physical environment and the ancestral rituals that nourished the people of the earliest democratic state, demonstrating how religious concerns were embedded in Athenian governmental processes. The book's lucid portrayals of the best-known Athenian festivals-honoring Athena, Demeter, and Dionysus-offer a balanced view of Athenian ritual and illustrate the range of such customs in fifth-century Athens.

Democracy --- Religion and politics --- History --- Religious aspects --- Athens (Greece) --- Greece --- Politics and government. --- Politics and government --- Religion. --- alcibiades. --- ancient greece. --- athena. --- athenian life. --- athens. --- civic life. --- classical greece. --- demeter. --- democracy. --- democratic institutions. --- dionysus. --- festivals and games. --- greek gods. --- greek scholars. --- incantation. --- institutional religion. --- polytheism. --- private spheres. --- profaning of eleusinian mysteries. --- public spheres. --- religion and politics. --- religious cults. --- religious practices. --- retrospective. --- rites and rituals. --- ritual sacrifice. --- trial of socrates. --- world religion.