The Gift in Antiquity

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In his seminal essay The Gift (1922), French sociologist Marcel Mauss proposed an original theoretical framework for thinking about gift-giving practices. Emphasizing that all gifts were "total social facts" that created bonds of reciprocity between communities and individuals, Mauss's framework has been fundamental in anthropological research. The Gift in Antiquity applies Mauss's notion of gift-giving as a catalyst in strengthening group bonds to the study of antiquity. This thought-provoking series of 14 original essays cover such wide-ranging topics as vows in the Hebrew Bible, ancient Greek wedding gifts, Hellenistic civic practices, Latin literature, Roman and Jewish burial practices, Jewish and Christian religious gifts, along with wider theoretical and methodological reflections. Collectively, the essays open up a cross-cultural dialogue that generates new ways of thinking about both antiquity and theories of gift-giving and reciprocity. The Gift in Antiquity offers illuminating insights into the enduring value of Mauss's work and the influential nature of reciprocity and exchange throughout the course of history.