The Snake and the Whale
This chapter introduces ancient Graeco-Roman traditions of dream-interpretation through a close reading of the opening scene of Aristophanes’ Wasps, which presents two slaves comparing their dreams. This scene provides us with a helpful encapsulation of popular views in antiquity about dreams and their significance. The chapter briefly summarizes five basic ancient assumptions about dreams: that dreams (or at least some dreams) come from the gods; that dreams (or at least some dreams) are predictive; that predictive dreams deal in symbols, not narratives; that predictive dreams resemble riddles; and that accurate dream-interpretation calls for the services of a professional dream-interpreter like Artemidorus.
1998 ◽
Vol 86
(3)
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pp. 896-898
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1999 ◽
Vol 30
(1)
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pp. 45-50
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Keyword(s):
Keyword(s):
2016 ◽
Vol 9
(1)
◽
pp. 65-82