Michael D. Konaris
EDITED VOLUMES
Studies on Greek gods and heroes.
Interpretations and appropriations
(De Gruyter Brill 2026)
The Greek gods and heroes are captivating as well as challenging objects of study. This collective volume, edited by Michael Konaris, brings together specialists who address some of the most important theoretical and methodological questions about them through case-studies, engage critically with the views of major past scholars and offer new suggestions. Among the questions examined are the relation between myth and ritual, how to account for the different competences of the Greek gods, how to approach the portrayal of gods and heroes in Greek literature and others. In addition, the volume investigates different cases of the modern reception and ideological appropriation of the Greek gods beyond academic scholarship, from Republican China and Germany in the 1920s and under the Nazis to late 20th century USA. By combining critical discussion of theoretical issues with specific examples, and a re-assessment of influential past approaches with new ideas, the volume contributes to the study of Greek gods and heroes both at a theoretical level and in concrete cases. The book will appeal not only to students of Greek religion and mythology, but also to people interested in ancient religions more broadly, in the history of classical scholarship and reception studies.
The Multiple Antiquities of Greek Modernity.
19th–21st Century (EfA 2025)
This collective volume, co-edited by Chryssanthi Avlami and Michael Konaris, explores the multiple perceptions of Hellenic antiquity in modern Greece, a central yet contested aspect of modern Greek national identity ever since the foundation of the Greek state in 1830. How did the various disciplines of modern Greek classical scholarship cultivate conceptions of Hellenic antiquity that suited the national narrative of the continuity of Greek history? In what ways did modern Greeks engage with and adapt Western European ideas about ancient Greece? How were the dominant views of Hellenic antiquity reinforced or challenged by alternative perspectives appearing within scholarship, but also in the arts and the public sphere? And how was Hellenic antiquity turned into a commodity that could be consumed and exploited in the tourism industry as well as in Greece’s relations with other countries? By bringing together specialists from a wide spectrum of disciplines to address such questions, the volume aims to shed light on the diversity of modern Greek perceptions of ancient Greece and their usages from the 19th to the 21st century.
