Banausos (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
: βάναυσος, plural βάναυσοι, ''banausoi'') is a
pejorative
A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...
term from
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
applied to the
class
Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...
of
manual laborers or
artisan
An artisan (from , ) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, sculpture, clothing, food ite ...
s, such as
blacksmiths,
potters, or
carpenters. The related abstract noun βαναυσία (''banausia''), defined by
Hesychius as "every craft (τέχνη)
onductedby means of fire," reflects a folk etymology linking it to "furnace" (βαῦνος, ''baunos'') and "to dry" (αὔω, ''auō''), though its true origins are unknown and it appears only in
Attic-Ionic texts from the 5th century BC onward.
[''Banausie''. In: Heinrich August Pierer, Julius Löbe (in German): ''Universal-Lexikon der Gegenwart und Vergangenheit.'' Fourth ed., vol. 2; Altenburg 1857, page 264 (Online bei zeno.org)] In contrast,
epic hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
es in Greek literature called their smiths δημιουργοί (
''dēmiourgoi''), a term for skilled public workers, highlighting a cultural distinction.
The term has been adapted into English as the rare word banausic, appearing around 1845 with the Victorian revival of classical learning. According to
Dagobert D. Runes’ ''Dictionary of Philosophy'', it means "vulgar and illiberal," especially for arts or occupations thought to "deform the body or the mind."
In
Wilhelmine Germany and later, ''banausisch'' became an insult tied to the
Kultur-movement, alongside myths that the German soul was Greek, ancient Greeks were blond, and modern Greeks were unrelated to them—ideas accepted by scholars like
Edith Hamilton in her early career but challenged after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Today, in
German, ''Banause'' means an uncouth person indifferent to high culture, akin to the English "
philistine
Philistines (; Septuagint, LXX: ; ) were ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan during the Iron Age in a confederation of city-states generally referred to as Philistia.
There is compelling evidence to suggest that the Philist ...
."
In 1935, a colleague of
Gilbert Murray extended the term beyond Greek usage, calling journalists, lawyers, or businessmen focused on profit rather than virtue "banausoi rather than men."
Bibliography
*Chap II, "Opinions, Passions, and Interests", ''Republics, Ancient and Modern'', Vol. I, Paul A. Rahe, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill and London, 1992.
*''The People of Aristophanes'', Victor Ehrenberg, New York, 1962. pp 113–146.
*''Greek Popular Morality in the Time of Plato and Aristotle'', Kenneth J. Dover, Oxford, 1974. pp 39–41; 172–174.
*"L'idée de travail dans la Grèce archaïque", André Aymard, ''Journal de psychologie'' 41, 1948. pp 29–45.
*"Hiérarchie du travail et autarcie individuelle", André Aymard, ''Études d'histoire ancienne'', Paris, 1967. pp 316–333.
*"Work and Nature in Ancient Greece",
Jean-Pierre Vernant, ''Myth and Thought among the Greeks'', London, 1983. pp 248–270.
;Commentary works
*"Humanism in Politics and Economics", ''Greek Ideals and Modern Life'', Sir R. W. Livingstone,
Martin Classical Lectures, Vol. V, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA., 1935.
References
External links
{{wiktionary, banausic
Word frequency information for βάναυσοςfrom the Perseus Digital Library at the Classics Department of
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
Economy of ancient Greece
Social classes of ancient Athens