Sanctuaries and the sacred in the ancient Greek world / John Pedley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pedley, John Griffiths.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sacred space--Greece.

Sacred space.

Temples--Greece.

Temples.

Greece.

Rites and ceremonies--Greece.

Rites and ceremonies.

Greece--Religion.

Religion.

Physical Description:

xviii, 272 pages : illustrations, maps, plans ; 27 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Summary:

This book explores the variety of ancient Greek sanctuaries - their settings, spaces, shapes, and structures - and the rituals associated with them, such as festivals and processions, sacrifice and libation, dining and drinking, prayer and offering, dance, initiation, consultation, and purification. The first chapters outline the important themes and issues, including locations and their meanings, defining features of sanctuaries, the relationship between structure and ritual, political as well as religious functions, transformations over time, and the activities and experiences of the individual. These themes are then linked to historic and specific sanctuaries, notably Olympia and Delphi, as examples of major international sanctuaries; Samos and Poseidonia, as urban sanctuaries in different parts of the Greek world; and the acropolis in Athens. Final chapters trace the consequences of the Roman conquest, the spread of Christianity, and the impact of Turks, travelers, archaeologists, and tourists on these sites. Written in a clear style and richly illustrated, the book is intended for students and provides an accessible yet authoritative introduction to the material aspects of ancient Greek sanctuaries and the ritual activities that took place there. It includes a lengthy glossary and a chapter bibliography.

Contents:

1 Themes 2

2 Sanctuary Histories 14

3 Cultural Differences 15

1 The Greek Gods 17

2 Time and Place 22

3 The Evidence 25

4 Social Organization: Family and Polis 27

III Growth and Variety 29

1 Sacred Space 29

2 Development 29

3 Hero Cults 34

4 Smaller Sanctuaries 35

IV The Siting of Sanctuaries 39

1 Sanctuaries in Nature 39

2 Interurban Sanctuaries 40

3 Urban Sanctuaries 42

4 Suburban Sanctuaries 42

5 Extraurban Sanctuaries 46

6 Rural Sanctuaries 51

7 Current Debates: Sanctuary Placement and the Formation of the Polis 52

V Architecture for the Gods: Sacred Building 57

1 Temenos Walls 57

2 Propyla: Gateways 58

3 Altars 60

4 Temples 62

5 The Parthenon 68

6 Other Buildings 74

VI Activities and Experiences, I: Rites and Rituals 78

1 Festivals 78

2 Sacrifice 80

3 Dance 82

4 Dining and Drinking 84

5 The Thesmophoria 87

6 Getting in Touch 88

7 Initiation 92

8 Asylum, Purification, Healing 97

VII Activities and Experiences, II: Offerings 100

1 Cult Statues 100

2 Personal Offerings: Eighth and Seventh Centuries 101

3 Personal Offerings: Sixth Century 106

4 Personal Offerings: Fifth and Fourth Centuries 110

5 Temple Inventories 114

6 State Offerings 115

7 Verbal Offerings: Prayers, Hymns, Songs 116

VIII Sanctuary Histories: Olympia 119

1 Location and Character 119

2 The Early Years 120

3 Building, Decorating, Dedicating, and Competing 122

4 The Olympic Games 131

IX Sanctuary Histories: Delphi 135

1 Location and Character 135

2 The Early Years 136

3 Enlarging and Enhancing the Sanctuary 138

4 The Oracle 151

5 The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia 151

X Sanctuary Histories: Samos 154

1 Location and Character 154

2 The Early Years 156

3 From Makeshift to Majestic 157

4 New Perspectives 164

XI Sanctuary Histories: Poseidonia 167

1 Location and Character 167

2 The Early Years 168

3 Building and Dedicating: The Urban Sanctuary of Hera 170

4 Sanctuaries in the Countryside 175

5 The Suburban Sanctuary at Santa Venera 184

XII Sanctuary Histories: The Acropolis at Athens 186

1 Location and Character 186

2 The Eighth- and Seventh-Century Acropolis 187

3 The Archaic Sanctuary 188

4 The Classical Acropolis 190

5 The Panathenaia 202

XIII Greece, Rome, and Byzantium 205

1 Romans in Greece 205

2 The Spread of Christianity 207

3 Olympia and Delphi 210

4 Athens 214

5 Samos and Poseidonia 220

XIV The Aftermath 225

1 Christians and Turks 225

2 Travelers and Architects 230

3 Archaeologists and Tourists 234.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-254) and index.

ISBN:

0521809355

052100635X

OCLC:

60188210

Publisher Number:

9780521809351

9780521006354