<論説>前五世紀ギリシアの歴史家と神託

Abstract

古代ギリシア社会において重要となったのは、神の意志のあらわれる神託や前兆であり、神託研究は、厳密な史料批判に基づく真偽判定に重点を置きつつ展開されてきた。しかし、このような研究が引き出した結果は、当時の人々の神託に対する姿勢との間に矛盾を抱えることとなった。筆者は、このような問題を解決し、古代ギリシア人と宗教の関わりをもう一度見直そうと試みる。そこで、その手がかりを見いだすために、前五世紀の歴史家、ヘロドトスとトゥキュディデスを本論文の対象とする。二人の神託に対する態度は、全く対照的で、共通点の見られないものと従来考えられていた。筆者は、彼らの作品の中の神託を比較し、単に神託を信じていたか否かという二者択一的な結論を出すのではなく、神託を受け取るに際して何が重要と思われていたかを考察する。そして、本論文の考察によって、筆者は、神託を受け取った者の解釈の重要性が、二人の態度に共通してみられ、ギリシア人の宗教に対する態度を理解する手がかりとなるのではないかという結論を得た。

It is often said that ancient Greek society, the polis, had a close relationship to religion. Greek religion had neither dogma nor priesthood, but the Greeks thought it important to perform rituals correctly in order to win their gods' favor. Oracles and omens, which were regarded as conveying the gods' will, had a great effect on the Greeks' thought and actions. Studies since the 1950 s on Greek oracles have placed emphasis on the examination of their authenticity, but have given insufficient consideration to the question of the Greeks' actual belief in oracles. In this article, through a comparison of the attitudes of Herodotus and Thucydides, the relationship between the Greeks and oracles, in particular this question of belief, is re-examined. Generally it has been thought that Herodotus believed deeply in oracles and omens as signs sent by the gods to the people, while Thucydides was very scornful of traditional religious thought. However some recent studies concerning Thucydides and religion have argued that he did believe in traditional religion including oracles. In this paper, references to divination in the writings of Herodotus and Thucydides are discussed in the light of such new appraisals. The purpose is not simply to argue in favor of one or other of the alternatives, belief or disbelief, but to attempt to show what the Greeks thought important about the recieving of oracles. It is concluded that the two historians were similar in accepting the importance of the interpretation of oracles. This conclusion offers a new approach to understanding the Greeks' attitudes towards religion.