Les Grecs Face Aux Catastrophes Naturelles: Savoirs, Histoire, Memoire [French]

By L Thely

Per ues comme un moment exceptionnel et tragique de l'histoire descommunaut s anciennes, les catastrophes naturelles ne cess rent, tout au longde l'Antiquit , de susciter l' tonnement, l'irraison et la peur. Ellesfurent l'objet de d bats entre les d fenseurs d'une opinion rationnelle, fond e sur la compr hension de l'harmonie et de la d mesure du monde, etceux qui, intrigu s par la violence de tels ph nom nes, en tenaient pourresponsables les divinit s. Il est n anmoins frappant de constater queles Grecs ne disposaient pas de mot pour d signer une catastrophenaturelle. L'enqu te propos e ici repose donc sur une d finition et unparadigme contemporains, l' tude des implications sociales qu'un al anaturel impose aux soci t s. Loin de c der au fatalisme, les communaut ssurent s'adapter progressivement aux contraintes de leur environnement, tir rent de ces exp riences des enseignements au sujet des comportements adopter et prirent des mesures efficaces afin de surmonter l' v nementd vastateur. Les r actions populaires soulignent aussi la vari t desattitudes face aux catastrophes: actes de bravoure ou de pi t religieuse, vacuation des zones sinistr es, sollicitation des r seauxde voisinage, reconstruction des difices ruin s. Ces r ponses apport esau d sastre r v lent les r alit s quotidiennes dans les cit s grecques.La catastrophe ne rompt ainsi pas le temps v cu, mais s'inscrit, aucontraire, dans un processus historique de longue dur e. Throughout Antiquity, natural disasters, seen as exceptional and tragicmoments in the history of ancient communities, never ceased to evokeastonishment, irrationality and fear. They were the subject of debatesbetween the defenders of rational opinions founded on an understandingof the world's harmony and excess, and those who were puzzled by theviolence of such phenomenas and held the gods responsible for them.Nevertheless, it is a surprise to discover that the Greeks did not havea word for 'natural disaster'. This study therefore has as its basis acontemporary definition and paradigm, the study of the socialimplications of random natural events on societies. Instead of givingway to fatalism, human communities were able to adapt gradually to theconstraints of their environments, drew lessons on desirable behaviourfrom these experiences, and took effective measures to overcomedevastating events. People's reactions also demonstrate the variety ofdifferent attitudes shown towards catastrophes, including acts ofbravery and religious piety, evacuations of damaged areas, appeals toneighbourhood networks, and the reconstruction of ruined buildings.These responses to disasters make clear daily realities in Greek cities.In this way catastrophes did not constitute a break in people's livedexperience but rather became part of a long-term historical process.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: French
• ISBN: 2869582781
• ISBN13: 9782869582781
• Release Date: December 2016
• Publisher: Ecole Francaise d'Athenes
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 2.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.2" x 11.7"