Abstract and Keywords
This chapter deals with the texts determining rules and norms in Greek rituals, the so-called ‘sacred laws’. Since prescriptive texts concerning religious rituals and matters of religion had many different forms, and were not regularly articulated as laws, the chapter first highlights the diversity of authorities, types of mediation, and enactment procedures that render the term ‘sacred law’ misleading. After an overview of the extant material, types of information, and historical and geographical distribution, the chapter investigates the history and the development of the collections of these texts from late nineteenth century to the present day. The final section introduces the reader to twenty-first century debates concerning these texts, and highlights issues of authority, agency, and genre as promising avenues of future research.
Keywords: authority, rules, norms, law, laws, sacred law, mediation, enactment, rituals, prescriptive, agency, genre
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