Ingvild Saelid Gilhus 
Animals, Gods and Humans [PDF ebook] 
Changing Attitudes to Animals in Greek, Roman and Early Christian Thought

Consulting a wide range of key texts and source material, Animals, Gods and Humans covers 800 years and provides a detailed analysis of early Christian attitudes to, and the position of, animals in Greek and Roman life and thought.Both the pagan and Christian conceptions of animals are rich and multilayered, and Ingvild Saelid Gilhus expertly examines the dominant themes and developments in the conception of animals.Including study of: biographies of figures such as Apollonus of Tyana; natural history; the New Testament via Gnostic texts; the church fathers; and from pagan and Christian criticism of animal sacrifice, to the acts of martyrs, the source material and detailed analysis included in this volume make it a veritable feast of information for all classicists.