Poine: a study in ancient Greek blood-vengeance

This work examines ancient Greek systems of blood-vengeance by surveying comparative vendetta types and then analysing Homeric society to distinguish collective Pelasgian vengeance from the more restricted Achaean form. It explores religious dimensions such as ancestor worship, ritual pollution, the Erinnyes, and the emergence of purgation practices. It traces social and legal transformations in the post-Homeric period that culminate in Apolline influence and the formulation of homicide laws associated with Draco. It concludes by interpreting recurring homicide motifs in Attic tragedy through the preceding legal, religious, and social developments.