Divine Soil

This book advances the thesis that the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, and derivative Jungian archetypes widespread still in movies, can be related to specific ancient life ways and soils. Religious views for pastoralists, farmers, seafarers, hunter-gatherers, and warriors reflect what is important for their subsistence. When such diverse lifeways came together in the first cities, tribal deities persisted as polytheistic religions, and the most influential has been the religion of Ancient Greece. In this stunning synthesis Greg Retallack details soils at the temples of Ancient Greece as a basis for life ways of different gods and goddesses, from hunter-gatherers Apollo and Artemis to farmers Demeter and Dionysos. This book is copiously illustrated with classical artwork and the most famous Greek religious pilgrimage sites. This book is an introduction to the fundamental role of soils, not only in supplying food for our bodies, but also inspiration for our souls.