Happy Wife, Happy Life: A Theoretical Approach to Dual Identity in Greek Colonies

Submission Type

Event

Expected Graduation Date

2015

Location

Room E108, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Start Date

4-12-2014 11:00 AM

End Date

4-12-2014 12:00 PM

Disciplines

Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity

Abstract

In the eighth and seventh centuries, as many Greek city-states expanded westward forming new settlements, some settlers married native women. Colonists who participated in intermarriage encouraged their native wives to participate in rituals at Greek sanctuaries, one of four indicators of Greek ethnicity according to Herodotus, in order to facilitate a dual identity. By applying Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State Apparatus which postulates that religion imposes identity, this presentation proves that incorporating natives into Greek religion was a form of cultural conversion. Archaeological evidence of indigenous objects in Greek settlements shows that natives were able to incorporate their own cultural aspects in Greek society as long as they were not of a religious nature. When analyzed through the lens of Althusser’s theory, this demonstrates that religion was an important tool used to develop Greek ethnicity. My findings are significant because they show how Greeks used religion to create a cultural identity with local populations with whom they intermarried, in order to facilitate a more peaceful community.

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Apr 12th, 11:00 AM Apr 12th, 12:00 PM

Happy Wife, Happy Life: A Theoretical Approach to Dual Identity in Greek Colonies

Room E108, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

In the eighth and seventh centuries, as many Greek city-states expanded westward forming new settlements, some settlers married native women. Colonists who participated in intermarriage encouraged their native wives to participate in rituals at Greek sanctuaries, one of four indicators of Greek ethnicity according to Herodotus, in order to facilitate a dual identity. By applying Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State Apparatus which postulates that religion imposes identity, this presentation proves that incorporating natives into Greek religion was a form of cultural conversion. Archaeological evidence of indigenous objects in Greek settlements shows that natives were able to incorporate their own cultural aspects in Greek society as long as they were not of a religious nature. When analyzed through the lens of Althusser’s theory, this demonstrates that religion was an important tool used to develop Greek ethnicity. My findings are significant because they show how Greeks used religion to create a cultural identity with local populations with whom they intermarried, in order to facilitate a more peaceful community.