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Edition 40 (2003) Winner
Walter Burkert
ヴァルター・ブルケルト
Walter Burkert
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1931-02-02 （Neuendettelsau, Germany）
- Died
- 2015-03-11 （Zürich, Switzerland） age 84
- Nationality
- German
- Languages
- German, English
- Residence History
- Neuendettelsau (birthplace) → Erlangen (education and early career) → Berlin (professorship at TU Berlin) → Zürich (long-term residence and University of Zurich) → Short-term abroad: Washington D.C., Cambridge (visiting positions)
Career
- Occupations
- Classical scholar, Scholar of ancient religion, University professor, Philologist
- Active Years
- 1955-2015
- Affiliations
- TU Berlin (Technische Universität Berlin), University of Zurich, American Philosophical Society (member), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (member)
- Memberships
- American Philosophical Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Influenced By
- Konrad Lorenz, Jane Ellen Harrison
- Influenced
- Subsequent generations of scholars of religion and ancient Greek studies, Numerous graduate students and academic interpreters
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Erlangen–Nuremberg | — | Classical philology, philosophy, history | Ph.D. (Philosophie・ドクター) | 1950–1955 | Germany |
| Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | — | Classical studies | — | 1950–1954 | Germany |
University of Erlangen–Nuremberg
Classical philology, philosophy, history
Degree:
Ph.D. (Philosophie・ドクター)
Period:
1950–1955
Year of Graduation:
1955
Country:
Germany
Received doctorate in philosophy at Erlangen in 1955
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Classical studies
Period:
1950–1954
Year of Graduation:
1954
Country:
Germany
Studied at Munich before doctoral completion at Erlangen
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Balzan Prize (Study of the Ancient World) | — | — | Balzan Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Sigmund Freud Prize | — | — | Awarded by German-language literary/academic body | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | — | — | Federal Republic of Germany | 受章 |
Balzan Prize (Study of the Ancient World)
1990
Organization:
Balzan Foundation
Result:
受賞
Sigmund Freud Prize
2003
Organization:
Awarded by German-language literary/academic body
Result:
受賞
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2008
Organization:
Federal Republic of Germany
Result:
受章
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Homo Necans
1972 Scholarly monograph (religion / classics) 400 pagesAn interdisciplinary study of ancient Greek sacrificial ritual and myth, arguing that sacrificial killing was central to social solidarity and order; combines philology with anthropological and ethological insights.
sacrificeritualmyth-ritual relationshipviolence and society
Translations
- English translation: Homo necans: The Anthropology of Ancient Greek Sacrificial Ritual and Myth (1983)
- Italian translation: Homo necans (1981)
Greek Religion
1977 Scholarly monograph (history of religion) 480 pagesA comprehensive account of ancient Greek religion integrating archaeological, epigraphic, and comparative perspectives covering archaic to classical periods.
history of religionritual and popular beliefNear Eastern cultural interactions
Translations
- English translation: Greek Religion (1985)
Ancient Mystery Cults
1987 Scholarly monograph (religion) 260 pagesBased on his Jackson Lectures, this work examines the origins, practices, and social functions of mystery religions.
mystery cultsesoteric transmissionparticipation and exclusivity
Creation of the Sacred: Tracks of Biology in Early Religions
1996 Scholarly monograph (comparative religion) 320 pagesA comparative study exploring how biological factors have left traces in the formation of religious practices and beliefs.
biology and religionorigins of religioncomparative religion
Bibliography
- Weisheit und Wissenschaft: Studies on Pythagoras, Philolaos and Plato (1962)
- Homo necans: Interpretations of Ancient Greek Sacrificial Rites and Myths (1972)
- Greek Religion (1977)
- Structure and History in Greek Mythology and Ritual (1979)
- The Orientalizing Revolution: Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Age (1984)
- Ancient Mystery Cults (1987)
- Creation of the Sacred (1996)
- Savage Energies: Lessons of Myth and Ritual in Ancient Greece (2001)
- The Greeks and the Orient (2004)
Translations of Works
- English translation of Homo necans (1983) and Italian translation (1981)
- English translation of Griechische Religion (1985)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- interdisciplinary and empiricalcombines philological scrutiny with comparative-cultural analysisclear yet theoretical
- Recurring Motifs
- relationship of ritual and mythsacrifice and violencecultural interaction with the Near East
Legacy
Burkert is one of the leading figures in late 20th-century studies of ancient Greek religion; his interdisciplinary approach—combining philology, archaeology, and comparative religion—reshaped the field. Works such as Homo Necans became foundational for the study of sacrificial ritual and influenced subsequent scholarship.
Academic Societies
- American Philosophical Society
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Archives
- Personal papers / archival holdings at the University of Zurich (relevant collections)
Quotes
-
"The term 'gods' remains fluid, whereas sacrifice is a fact."
Source: Preface to Homo Necans (1983)
Trivia
- Married Maria Bosch in 1957; had three children (Reinhard, Andrea, Cornelius).
- Delivered the Gifford Lectures at the University of St Andrews in 1989.
- Retired as emeritus in 1996.