Dowden, Ken 1950-

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Dowden, Ken 1950-

PERSONAL:

Born 1950.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity Arts Bldg., University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, England. E-mail—k.dowden@bham.ac.uk.

CAREER:

Educator and writer. Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, England, director and professor.

WRITINGS:

Death and the Maiden: Girls' Initiation Rites in Greek Mythology, Routledge (New York, NY), 1989.

Religion and the Romans, Bristol Classical (London, England), 1992.

The Uses of Greek Mythology, Routledge (New York, NY), 1992.

European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Routledge (New York, NY), 2000.

(Editor, with Thomas Wiedemann) Sleep, Levante Editori (Bari, Italy), 2003.

Zeus ("Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World" series), Routledge (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ken Dowden is a university professor whose interests focus primarily on Greek and Roman mythology, religion, and literature. He is the author of several books stemming from his areas of expertise, including European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. In this book, Dowden provides literary evidence for religious sites of the Classical, Celtic, and Germanic religions. He also discusses these religions' organizational structures and rituals, especially the ritual of sacrifice. N. James and Simon Stoddart, writing in Antiquity, noted: "Emerging through the review are principles of contrast and continuity with Christianity."

Zeus is part of the Routledge series "Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World." In the book, the author not only provides an overview of the mythology surrounding Zeus, known as the "Father of Gods and Men," but also discusses the character's place in ancient pagan life and how he is perceived today. "Despite the broad approach, this is still a relatively in-depth study of the king of the gods," wrote Deborah Kerr on the Rosetta Web site. In addition to examining the role of Zeus in literature, the author also includes a chronological table and three maps. Noting that the book is meant for the general reader, Kerr also pointed out: "For the more advanced reader, this book's broad yet in depth approach means that it can be used as a primer for many different research topics regarding Zeus." Writing on the Bryn Mawr Classical Review Web site, Mark Alonge commented on the more general reader of this volume: "There is no doubt that the target audience of students and non-specialists will learn a lot from this book. It is simply jam-packed with information."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Antiquity, September, 2000, N. James and Simon Stoddart, review of European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, p. 718.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, May, 2000, C.L. Hanson, review of European Paganism, p. 1665.

Greece & Rome, October, 2000, P. Walcot, review of European Paganism, p. 265.

Reference & Research Book News, April, 1990, review of Death and the Maiden: Girls' Initiation Rites in Greek Mythology, p. 1.

Times Literary Supplement, December 18, 1992, review of The Uses of Greek Mythology, p. 25.