New Books Network Robert Garland, "What to Expect When You're Dead: An Ancient Tour of Death and the Afterlife" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Jun 2, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Robert Garland, an Emeritus professor from Colgate University and author of "What to Expect When You're Dead," delves into ancient beliefs about death and the afterlife across cultures like Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek. He cleverly discusses the rush of funerary practices and the societal roles tied to them, revealing how ancient peoples navigated questions of judgment and existence beyond the grave. With humor and intriguing anecdotes, Garland invites listeners to rethink mortality and the enduring ties between the living and the dead.
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Garland's Childhood Interest
- Robert Garland's fascination with death started when he was a child visiting the British Museum and seeing a mummy named Ginger. - He found death to be a lively and enriching subject rather than depressing, influencing his lifelong interest.
Ideas of a Good Death
- Many ancient cultures valued leaving belongings to heirs and obtaining a 'good death' free from pain. - The Greeks highlighted painless, unexpected death as ideal, reflecting desires similar to modern ones.
Varied Costs of Ancient Burials
- Costs of death preparations varied widely from minimal in early societies to enormous in ancient Egypt and Rome. - Burial societies helped reduce expenses for many, showing early communal approaches to death care costs.
