Pírrica: a dança em armas em Ateneu de Náucratis (Séc. II-III d.C.).

Abstract

This research focuses a dance modality existing in ancient Greece, the dance in weapons, and within that genre, in particular the so-called Pyrrhic Dance (Pyrrhiche), object of Athenaeus’ of Naucratis attention in his workThe Learned Banqueters (Deipnosophistai), particularly in XIV.629-631. The analysis of this dance contributes to think about several aspects, including the relationship between culture, education and war, since one of its original purposes would be the preparation for the future warrior challenges. There are important literary and iconographic testimonies about Pyrrhic Dance, from Classical period, such as Thucydides and Attic vessels, up to the Greco-Roman imperial period, such as Lucian’s of Samosata On Dance. Our option to analyze the passages of Athenaeus referring to the Pyrrhic is due to the fact that it is a very relevant author for the study of Greek cultural manifestations and still without translation into Portuguese – his work awaits even more attention from national scholars. His characterization of dances in arms establishes a strong connection with Classical period, by consulting works available in his time that have not been preserved. Through the analysis of his text referring to the dance in weapons, we can highlight various issues, such as the origins attributed to the dance, the sources available and accessed by Athenaeus at the time of the so-called Second Sophistic, the diversity of dances belonging to the genre of dance in weapons, as well as the changes in its practice that have occurred over time.