Religion Flashcards
Changes in Sancts: monumentalisation, understanding relig votive offerings: ID of donor, nature of relig
Why is it difficult to study religion in early EIA? (2)
Evidence is lacking
Variation across the evidence that we do have
What is the general pattern of early EIA religious practice that still makes study difficult?
Continuity from Mycenaean cult
This is not well understood
What appears to be true from settlement arrangements abt sacred spaces?
Material evidence in these sacred spaces?
They were delineated within the community space
There was little material activity in these urban spaces
Where does Mazarakis Ainian argue cult activity took place? With what evidence?
ruler dwellings
Votive items and sacrificial remains being found in large, prominently located houses (Nichoria Unit VI-1)
What was a type of site that saw much religious activity?
Rural sanctuaries with solely religious functions divorced from any specific community
Around when does the evidence for religious activities increase in IA?
8th and 9th centuries
What material for votives become more popular in 9th-8th cents especially in a small number of sancts?
bronze
What item was commonly made from clay but sometimes of more expensive materials? What can this tell us about dedicator?
figurines
More wealthy, more interested in status or keen to express it
Around when did Panhellenic sites start to grow into this identity more / become more archaeologically visible?
What is it thought to coincide with?
8th - 7th centuries
emergence of the polis
What kind of dedicators were more common at the early stage of Panhellenic sites than they may have been later? Evidence?
Those from the local community
Materials being used deriving from local sources
What are the categories of evidence for ritual and cult practice? (6)
Animal sacrifice
Food offerings
Liquid offerings
Ritual dining
Foundation sacrifices
Cult images and votive offerings
Which temple does Hdt describe as the largest G one of his time?
Heraion at Samos
What was development of Heraion temples?
Hekatompedon: c8th cent BCE; c33m length.
Rhoikos T: completed c560 BCE, colossal size, ionic order
Late Archaic T: colossal – 55.2 x 108.6m; 155 columns in total, one of which has been preserved and stands alone in remains; building never finished despite successive construction from late arch to R period.
What was typical configuration of 8th cent Temples?
long and narrow
What was a key indication of a religious function as to EIA buildings?
altar nearby or orientation towards an altar
What was the practical function of treasuries? When did these emerge in greek sancts?
protect the votive dedications of precious materials
AR period
From EIA/AR, what appears to have been the main practical function of the main T of a sanctuary?
protect and display cult image of subject deity
What were the main buildings in the Heraion at Samos and origin date? Poss functions?
North Building, 6th cent, poss large treasury temple.
South Building, 6th cent, poss smaller treasury temples.
Heraion T, AR iteration 6th cent, housed cult statue.
SE small temple-like buildings, AR, some treasuires and some poss worship places (all orientated towards main altar.
What was duality as to G reeligious homogenuity from Homeric period at least?
All Greeks recognised Olympian Gods
BUT local derivations of these gods and practices meant the manifestation of religion differed to a significant extent from place to place
How is religious panhellenism attested in archaeological record?
Consistency across votives in sanctuaries geographically separated but united by worship of same deity.
Dedication to panhellenic sanctuary
What were the causes of variation between deities and ritual practices across sanctuaries/temples?
local variation in relations to the deities (e.g. founding stories)
geographical limits/features impacting how worship happened
groups that were involved - non-greek engagement, G colonies
What is a particular unique set of votives from Heraion? Example?
Wooden material votives.
wooden boats, statuettes, plain bowls and plates, furniture
What was exceptional abt dedicatory practices to Heraion at Samos? Signif?
often foreign origins: Egypt, Levant (Iran, Assyria, Phoenicia), Babylonia, Cyprus
From 7th cent, Samos had string trade connections w Eastern communities - traders bringing them back, visitors bringing items w them
How come impression of votive dedications displayed at Samian Heraion would have been signif?
early AR (7th-6th cents) setting was modest w simple temple and altar and only a few other sanctuary buildings
What wider artistic impact could foreign votives have had 7th-6th cents in G sanctuaries?
influenced Greek art development from AR into Classical period
Evidence of continuity from Mycenaean religion? Limitation?
G pantheon, minus Apollo, are referenced in Linear B tablets
uncertain abt the nature of their roles/symbolism - could have changed considerably
What are the main two points as to Mazarakis Ainian’s religion theory?
-‘big men’ of communities became the religious leaders, or vice versa
-houses of these leaders also acted as cult buildings
Cult site in Lokri? Signif suggested by sources and modern theory?
Kalapodi - open air sanct from LBA; temples from at least 10th cent (krater found in floor) and offering platforms; south temple had paintings of LG-AR p.
poss sanct of Apollo at Abai - this city is referred to in literature but hasn’t been archaeologically attested
Date of early activity at Isthmia? Cult there?
pottery dedications from 10th cent
EIA Poseidon worship
Early evidence of cult activity at Olympia?
altar in use from 11th cent w remains of sacrifices and ceramic offerings
firstly, modest dedications, then figurines, then bronze figurines and tripods
Early evidence of cult activity at Delphi?
bronze figurines etc dedications from 8th/7th cents but settlement there likely from Mycenaean period
Early evidence of cult activity on acrop of Athens?
LG dedications of bronzes found, and buildings although temple function uncertain.
When and what was first temple made of stone? Signif?
T of Artemis, Corcyra c600 BCE
formalisation of sanctuary architecture and vocabulary