The role of leisure in archaic Greece: the example of the works of Homer and Hesiod

Abstract

The purpose of the article lies in the reconstruction of the process of leisure founding and forming as cultural phenomena by Homer’s works ("Iliad", "Odyssey") and Hesiod"s works ("Teogoniya," "Works and Day"). Methodology. The research methodology lies in applying of the set of comparative, historical and systemic methods that allows to determine the preconditions of leisure founding and forming as cultural phenomena; to justify its social significance in the daily life of the Greeks in the archaic period. The scientific novelty of the research lies in that at first of study of culture was implemented the comparative analysis of Homer’ and Hesiod’s works in the context of its presenting of process of leisure founding and forming in the Ancient Greece of archaic period; was justified the social significance of leisure and work and leisure correlation in daily life of free Greek; was characterized the specificity of "ideal" leisure; was revealed the meaningful content of "leisure life". Conclusion. It was proved that Homer’s works present the leisure as the important indicator of social status, which differ free Greek from the slave; the leisure is useful, full of hunting, different  competitions and athletic games, the leisure that caused damnation was reduced to feasts, idleness, and mischief. It was emphasized that "Works and Day" Hesiod’s work is the first which present the questions of work and leisure correlation in daily life of peasant and small landowner; was revealed the "leisure life" as that is characterized by favorable living conditions, joyful and carefree labor, material wealth and entertainment, natural death like sleep. It was argued the preconditions of leisure founding as cultural phenomena in Ancient Greece among them are: the religious character of society; Greek culture competition with its cults of fame and victory; personal art activity; understanding of freedom as the absence of oppression of man and total regulation its behavior.