In this book, author Lucas Murrey argues that the thinking of the modern German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1944-1900) is not only more grounded in antiquity than previously understood, but is also based on the Dionysian spirit of Greece which scholars have still to confront. This book demonstrates that Nietzsche's philosophy is unique within Western thought as it retrieves the politics of a Dionysiac model and language to challenge the alienation of humans from nature and one another. Murrey develops here a new picture of Greece, reminding readers how money emerged and rapidly developed in Greece during the sixth century B.C.E. The event of monetization created the new art form of tragedy: money-tyrants struggling against the forces of earth and communities who consequently suffered isolation, blindness, and death. As Murrey points out, Nietzsche (unconsciously) retrieves the battle among money, nature, and community and adapts its lessons to our time. Additionally, Nietzsche's philosophy not only adapts the wisdom of Dionysus to question the unlimited "glow and fuel" of a "ponderous herd" of money-tyrants today, but it also draws attention to Greece's warnings about the lethal danger of the eyes in myth, cult, and theatre. This work introduces a much needed vision of Nietzschean thought, and it emphasizes the relevance of an interdisciplinary approach combining philosophy with literary studies and psychology with religious and visual/media studies. When applied to our present circumstance, the approach of this book reveals how a dangerous visual culture, through its support of the limitlessness of money, is harming our relationship with nature and each other.

This book casts new light on the work of the German poet Friedrich Hoelderlin (1770 - 1843), and his translations of Greek tragedy. It shows Hoelderlin's poetry is unique within Western literature (and art) as it retrieves the socio-politics of a Dionysiac space-time and language to challenge the estrangement of humans from nature and one other. In this book, author Lucas Murrey presents a new picture of ancient Greece, noting that money emerged and rapidly developed there in the sixth century B.C. This act of monetization brought with it a concept of tragedy: money-tyrants struggling against the forces of earth and community who succumb to individual isolation, blindness and death. As Murrey points out, Hoelderlin (unconsciously) retrieves the battle between money, nature and community and creatively applies its lessons to our time. But Hoelderlin's poetry not only adapts tragedy to question the unlimited "machine process" of "a clever race" of money-tyrants. It also draws attention to Greece's warnings about the mortal danger of the eyes in myth, cult and theatre. This monograph thus introduces an urgently needed vision not only of Hoelderlin hymns, but also the relevance of disciplines as diverse as Literary Studies, Philosophy, Psychology (Psychoanalysis) as well as Religious and Visual (Media) Studies to our present predicament, where a dangerous visual culture, through its support of the unlimitedness of money, is harming our relation to nature and one another. "Here triumphs a temperament guided by ancient religion and that excavates, in Hoelderlin's translations, the central god Dionysus of Greek tragedy." "Lucas Murrey shares with his subject, Hoelderlin, a vision of the Greeks as bringing something vitally important into our poor world, a vision of which few classical scholars are now capable." -Richard Seaford, author of Money and the Early Greek Mind and Dionysus. "Here triumphs a temperament guided by ancient religion and that excavates, in Hoelderlin's translations, the central god Dionysus of Greek tragedy." -Bernhard Boeschenstein, author of "Frucht des Gewitters". Zu Hoelderlins Dionysos als Gott der Revolution and Paul Celan: Der Meridian. "Lucas Murrey takes the god of tragedy, Dionysus, finally serious as a manifestation of the ecstatic scream of liberation and visual strategies of dissolution: he pleasantly portrays Hoelderlin's idiosyncratic poetic sympathy." -Anton Bierl, author of Der Chor in der Alten Komoedie. Ritual and Performativitat "Hoelderlin most surely deserved such a book." -Jean-Francois Kervegan, author of Que faire de Carl Schmitt? "...fascinating material..." -Noam Chomsky, author of Media Control and Nuclear War and Environmental Catastrophe.

This book casts new light on the work of the German poet Friedrich Hoelderlin (1770 - 1843), and his translations of Greek tragedy. It shows Hoelderlin's poetry is unique within Western literature (and art) as it retrieves the socio-politics of a Dionysiac space-time and language to challenge the estrangement of humans from nature and one other. In this book, author Lucas Murrey presents a new picture of ancient Greece, noting that money emerged and rapidly developed there in the sixth century B.C. This act of monetization brought with it a concept of tragedy: money-tyrants struggling against the forces of earth and community who succumb to individual isolation, blindness and death. As Murrey points out, Hoelderlin (unconsciously) retrieves the battle between money, nature and community and creatively applies its lessons to our time. But Hoelderlin's poetry not only adapts tragedy to question the unlimited "machine process" of "a clever race" of money-tyrants. It also draws attention to Greece's warnings about the mortal danger of the eyes in myth, cult and theatre. This monograph thus introduces an urgently needed vision not only of Hoelderlin hymns, but also the relevance of disciplines as diverse as Literary Studies, Philosophy, Psychology (Psychoanalysis) as well as Religious and Visual (Media) Studies to our present predicament, where a dangerous visual culture, through its support of the unlimitedness of money, is harming our relation to nature and one another. "Here triumphs a temperament guided by ancient religion and that excavates, in Hoelderlin's translations, the central god Dionysus of Greek tragedy." "Lucas Murrey shares with his subject, Hoelderlin, a vision of the Greeks as bringing something vitally important into our poor world, a vision of which few classical scholars are now capable." -Richard Seaford, author of Money and the Early Greek Mind and Dionysus. "Here triumphs a temperament guided by ancient religion and that excavates, in Hoelderlin's translations, the central god Dionysus of Greek tragedy." -Bernhard Boeschenstein, author of "Frucht des Gewitters". Zu Hoelderlins Dionysos als Gott der Revolution and Paul Celan: Der Meridian. "Lucas Murrey takes the god of tragedy, Dionysus, finally serious as a manifestation of the ecstatic scream of liberation and visual strategies of dissolution: he pleasantly portrays Hoelderlin's idiosyncratic poetic sympathy." -Anton Bierl, author of Der Chor in der Alten Komoedie. Ritual and Performativitat "Hoelderlin most surely deserved such a book." -Jean-Francois Kervegan, author of Que faire de Carl Schmitt? "...fascinating material..." -Noam Chomsky, author of Media Control and Nuclear War and Environmental Catastrophe.