book review

[alexseanchai]

The Balance of the Two Lands: Writings on Greco-Egyptian Polytheism by H. Jeremiah Lewis (full disclosure: I'm reviewing this book as a favor to him for reasons, which reasons probably count as him paying me for the review, but he is not in any way influencing the content of the review) is mostly interesting to me for its descriptions of Hellenic polytheism as historically and currently practiced. The actual focus of the book is Greco-Egyptian polytheism, before and during Ptolemaic Alexandria and in the present day. Lewis quotes extensively from primary sources in translation, and when talking about historical practice, he cites everything he doesn't quote. It's a worthwhile read for the quotes alone.

Rick Riordan should probably have done his research before writing the Percy Jackson / Kane Chronicles crossover shorts in which he declared Greek and Egyptian magic things better kept far apart. There's certainly, as Lewis shows, enough historical syncretism and—words, gah—overlap? between the Greek and Egyptian deities around whom Riordan's respective series revolve.

The essay "Getting Started" is something I wish I'd had ten months ago.

Lewis describes the central value of Hellenismos as "beauty". I am not sure I agree with this but I am not sure I have any grounds on which to disagree, either.

So I don't have a whole lot to say about this book, but I'm glad I read it.