The Rose and its Symbols in Mediterranean Antiquity

Fülszöveg

Somé one hundred rose species exist in the world, bút only four of these were once in daily use in Mediterranean civilizations. They were white or pink, they had a bushy form, and they usually blossomed once a year. They were used fór medicinal-hygienic, dietetic and sacral purposes. This book surveys the roses that played a role in various cultures of the eras between the second millennium BC and the 4-5th centuries AD, providing a history of both the botanically-based views of them and those that boldly eschewed that framework. Touching on the rose images of earlier and later eras as well, it focuses on two main domains: the histories of botany and symbols. The uniqueness of this volume lies in this double perspective. It appears that the story of the rose can most lucidly be told by considering everyday activities, with survival and reproduction becoming the focal points around which a pattem of ideas about the rose emerges. János Géczi (1954) is a researcher and teacher of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Somé one hundred rose species exist in the world, bút only four of these were once in daily use in Mediterranean civilizations. They were white or pink, they had a bushy form, and they usually blossomed once a year. They were used fór medicinal-hygienic, dietetic and sacral purposes. This book surveys the roses that played a role in various cultures of the eras between the second millennium BC and the 4-5th centuries AD, providing a history of both the botanically-based views of them and those that boldly eschewed that framework. Touching on the rose images of earlier and later eras as well, it focuses on two main domains: the histories of botany and symbols. The uniqueness of this volume lies in this double perspective. It appears that the story of the rose can most lucidly be told by considering everyday activities, with survival and reproduction becoming the focal points around which a pattem of ideas about the rose emerges. János Géczi (1954) is a researcher and teacher of cultural history at University of Pannónia, Veszprém, Hungary. His main interest is the history of European mentality, especially as related to the rose, a civilizational plánt that has been part of everyday life fór four millennia. In the pást two decades, the author has published numerous studies and monographs about this exciting theme, presenting it from the point of view of life Science, literature, fine árts and the history of religion. Vissza