archaeology

Myth, Art, War and Greek Sanctuaries

Gillian Shepherd

.

Gillian Shepherd

MDS1 ANG

Sanctuary of Zeus Olympios, Olympia

Image source page: http://www.sunrise-greece.com/pics/olympia1-big.jpg

To have a sanctuary you need: An altar (for the sacrifices and related ritual activities) A marked-off sacred space (temenos)

But you do not need: a temple (although this may be used for the cult statue and valuables) or any of the other buildings often found in sanctuaries, e.g. stoas, theatres etc (although these may contribute to the festivals and grandeur of a particular sanctuary)

Main types of sanctuaries

State sanctuaries (including urban and suburban eg the Sanctuary of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens)

Extra-urban sanctuaries (eg the Argive Heraion)

Interstate sanctuaries (also known as pan-Hellenic or interurban e.g Olympia and Delphi)

Image Source Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Acropolis-Athens34.jpg

The Acropolis, Athens

Argive Heraion (ie Sanctuary of Hera) and the Argive Plain

Photo Gillian Shepherd

Image Source Page: http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/esullivan/Period%202/brent/map_of_ancient_greece.htm

NB: Amphictyony

Basic ground plan of a Greek temple NB Altar and temenos

Image Source Page: http://proteus.brown.edu/greekpast/4895

Image Source Page: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/introtogreece/lect11/img22architordrs.html

The Orders

Image Source Page: http://shelton.berkeley.edu/175c/syllabus.html

Olympia (plan; NB Altis, Mt Kronos, Alpheios)

Image Source Page: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/ARTH209/geom_sculpt.html

Reconstruction of a bronze tripod cauldron, Olympia Original fragments of the later 8th cent. BC Cf Iliad 23.264 (funeral games of Patroklos)

Stadium, Olympia (looking east; NB 1 stade = approx. 185 m)


The Olympic Games Traditional founding date of 776 BC Held every 4 years, part of great festival of Zeus Different events: footraces, hoplitodromoi (hoplite races), chariot and horse racing,

jumping, boxing, wrestling, the pankration, and the pentathlon (wrestling, long jump, running, discus, javelin)

Only Greek males could attend and compete (but cf. Kyniska) Participants had to pay for own training (ie tended to come from wealthier class) Only first prizes No team games Rules and fines against cheating Actual prize an olive wreath, but

Feasts to celebrate Rewards in hometown, e.g. free meals, good seats at events, positions of influence, cash

Highly prestigious for victor and his polis

Olympia (reconstruction)

Image source page: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Model_of_ancient_Olympia.jpg

Temple of Hera, Olympia (c. 590 BC)

The order of the temple is Doric, and columns stand all around it. In the opisthodomos (= back porch) one of the columns is of oak

Pausanias 5.16.1 (2nd cent. AD)


Temple of Zeus, Olympia (470-50) Architect Libon

Spoils of war: victory of Elis over Pisa Spartans dedicated gold tripod for gable after victory over Athens at Tanagra, 457


Image Source Page: http://www.cvaonline.org/sculpture/ashmolean/site/templezeussite.htm

Image Source Page: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/introgreece/lecture_16.html

Image Source Page: http://traveltourimmigration.blogspot.com/2011/10/statue-of-zeus-at-olympia.html

Temple of Zeus, Olympia NB Pheidias

East pediment, Temple of Zeus, Olympia (NB Sterope, Oinomaus, Zeus, Pelops, Hippodameia)

Image Source Page: http://www.fransite.net/Klassiek/Grieks/kunst/East%20pediment%20from%20the%20Temple%20of%20Zeus,%20Olympia,%20Greece,%20ca_%20470-456%20BCE_jpg_orig.html

Image Source Page: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/638qr1Q9LXB2rSuJvS3oX_LAGU8caTjpLtggXFcaKak

Image Source Page: http://archives.evergreen.edu/webpages/curricular/2006-2007/greeceanditaly/node/87/print/index.html

Temple of Zeus, West Pediment, Centauromachy (Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs) Theseus, Pethithoos (grandson of Zeus and king of Lapiths)

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Image Source Page: http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/423/

Image Source Page: http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/Sculpture/ashmolean/context/OlympiaMetopesA069.htm

Temple of Zeus, Olympia Metopes Labours of Herakles

Temple of Zeus, Olympia Metope no. 3: Stymphalian birds

Image Source Page: http://www.trentu.ca/faculty/rfitzsimons/AHCL2200Y/LE%2011-03.htm

Temple of Zeus, Olympia Metope no. 10 Athena, Herakles and Atlas (golden apples of the Hesperides)

Image Source Page: http://www.buffaloah.com/a/virtual/greece/olympia/mus/source/41.html

Image Source Page: http://www.ancient.eu.com/image/439/

Temple of Zeus, Olympia Metope 12 Cleaning the Augean stables

Temple of Zeus, Olympia Metope 12 Herakles and the Bull

Image Source Page: http://www.lessing-photo.com/search.asp?a=1&kc=202020205AC0&kw=OLYMPIA%2C+TEMPLE+ZEUS+(GR)&p=1&ipp=

Image Source Page: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=ps254092.jpg&retpage=23155

Reconstruction of the Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia


Treasury terrace, Olympia

Pausanias (6. 19) names the donors (problem: 10 names but 12 sets of foundations); the names may related to the remains in the following order (west to east): Sikyon (Greece) Syracuse (Sicily) Epidamnos (Albania) Byzantium (= Istanbul) Sybaris (Sicily) Cyrene? (North Africa) Cyrene? Altar? Selinus (Sicily) Metapontum (Italy) Megara (Greece) Gela (Sicily)

There are some other things worth recording which are kept [in the Sikyonian Treasury]: Pelops gold-handled dagger and Amaltheias horna box-wood statue of Apollo with a gilded head

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