Ancient Greek Sanctuaries
Jennifer Palinkas
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9-11
Course Description:
This course will serve as an introduction to the sanctuaries of Ancient Greece,
with an emphasis on the components of sanctuary space and the religious activities that
occurred there. We will be concerned with the intersection of sanctuary architecture and
religious festivals within the sanctuaries.
After an introduction to ancient Greek religion, we will turn to several case study
sanctuaries in detail. For each sanctuary, we will consider the primary deity or deities
worshipped there, evaluate the foundation myths for the god’s presence at the sanctuary,
outline the sanctuary’s main festivals, and study the facilities of the sanctuary, such as its
altars, temples, baths, and other buildings. The culmination of each case study will be a
field trip to that sanctuary, and will include classes in Athens, day trips to Eleusis and
Epidauros, and longer trips to Delphi and Olympia.
Course Requirements:
Class participation is paramount, and you are expected to read the assignments
and to contribute to class discussions (10%). In addition, each student will present two
site reports (20 minutes) during a museum or archaeological site visit (15% each). An
annotated bibliography of the sources used for the site reports will be required at the time
of the report. There will also be two examinations, one during the course of the class,
and one at the end (15% each). Two article response papers (1-2 pp.) will be written as
critical reaction to class reading assignments (5% each). The final assignment will be a
project in which you create your own sanctuary (20%). You will determine its location,
its primary deity, its rituals, its sanctuary buildings, its dedications, its foundation myth,
and its history. You will write a 5-7 page report on your sanctuary, and produce three
sanctuary plan phases.
The readings for this class can be found in the Arcadia Center library, on a reserve
shelf designated for our class. In addition, the readings from the primary sources can be
purchased in a course packet. Please let me know if you have trouble locating any of the
readings.
Course Schedule:
Part I: General Consideration of Greek religion and sanctuaries
31 Jan: Introduction to course
2 Feb: Introduction to Greek religion and sanctuaries
J. Mikalson. Ancient Greek Religion. (An Overview: Greek Sanctuaries and
Worship,” pp. 1-31)
Optional Readings:
W. Burkert, Greek Religion. (“Introduction,” pp. 1-9; “The Sanctuary,” 84-95)
J. N. Bremmer. Greek Religion. (“Introduction,” pp. 1-10)
D. G. Rice and J. E. Stambaugh, “Sanctuary Regulations.” Sources for the Study of
Greek Religion (pp. 124-125)
7 Feb: Discussion of religious rituals, including sacrifice in Greek religion.
Bremmer, Greek Religion. (“Ritual,” pp. 38-43)
Mikalson, “Zeus, Prometheus, and the God’s Portion,” pp. 65-66.
First Reading Response paper due (readings discuss sacrifice): discuss one of
the following texts (to be assigned):
F. Graf, “What is New about Greek Sacrifice?” Kykeon vol. 142 (2002), pp. 113125.
W. Burkert, Greek Religion, pp. 54-66.
S. Pierce, “Death, Revelry, and Thysia.” Classical Antiquity 12 (1993), pp. 219266.
J.-P. Vernant, “A General Theory of Sacrifice and the Slaying of the Victims in
the Greek Thusia,” Mortals and Immortals (1991), pp. 290-302.
F. van Straten. (1985) “Greek Sacrifcial Representations: Livestock Prices and
Religious Mentality.” in Gifts to the Gods (Boreas 15) eds., T. Linders and
G. Nordquist. (pp. 159-170).
9 Feb: Field Trip-Athenian Acropolis
Meet at Acropolis entrance
Introduction of the orders, discussion of types of sanctuary dedications
A. W. Lawrence, Greek Architecture. (pp. 106-24)
J. Hurwit, The Athenian Acropolis. (pp. 57-63)
Part II: Sanctuary Case Studies
1. Panathenaia and Athens
14 Feb: Panathenaia and Acropolis, including procession, dedications to acropolis
Rice and Stambaugh (pp.117-121)
J. Neils, “The Panathenaia: An Introduction,” Goddess and Polis. (pp. 13-28)
Mikalson, pp. 68-82.
Optional Reading:
J. Hurwit, The Athenian Acropolis. (pp. 154-92)
16 Feb: Athena’s Sanctuary on the Acropolis. The Parthenon, Propylaia, Erectheion,
and Temple of Athena Nike
M. Fullerton, Greek Art. (pp. 79-88)
Second Reading Response Paper Due (articles discuss Parthenon Frieze):
D. Castriota, Myth, Ethos, and Actuality: Official Art in Fifth-Century B.C.
Athens. (pp. 184-232)
J. Neils, “Pride, Pomp, and Circumstance,” in Worshipping Athena. (pp. 177-97)
J. Connelly, “Parthenon and Parthenoi: A Mythological Interpretation of the
Parthenon Frieze.” AJA 100 (1996). (pp. 53-80)
R. Osborne, “The Viewing and Obscuring of the Parthenon Frieze.” JHS 107
(1987). (pp. 96-105)
Optional Readings:
R. Rhodes, Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis. (pp. 89-144)
Hurwit, The Athenian Acropolis (pp. 192-217)
21 Feb: Field Trip—Panathenaic Way and walk (Kerameikos and Agora)
Meet at Kerameikos entrance
Site reports
23 Feb: Field Trip—Acropolis
Meet at Acropolis entrance
Site reports
Pausanias, 1.22.4-1.28.3
Review:
A. W. Lawrence, Greek Architecture (pp.107-124)
J. Hurwit, The Athenian Acropolis. (pp. 57-63)
2. The Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis
28 Feb: The Eleusinian Mysteries, including iconography and sanctuary architecture
Pausanias, 1.38.5-7
Mikalson, pp. 83-90.
K. Clinton. “Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis.” Greek Sanctuaries.
New Approaches. (pp. 110-124)
Burkert (pp.285-290)
2 March: The Homeric Hymn to Demeter and the Thesmophoria
K. Clinton, “Sacrifice at the Eleusinian Mysteries,” in Early Greek Cult Practice,
pp. 69-80.
Homeric Hymn to Demeter
4 March: Field Trip to Eleusis
Site reports
7 March: Mid-term Exam
3. The Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
9 March: Oracle and sanctuary origins
Homeric Hymn to Apollo
Mikalson, “Apollo Pythios of Delphi.” (pp. 99-111)
Optional Readings:
S. Price, “Delphi and Divination,” Greek Religion and Society (pp. 128-154)
Rice and Stambaugh (pp. 93-106)
J. Fontenrose, “The Cult of Apollo and the Games at Delphi,” The Archaeology of
the Olympics (pp. 121-40)
14 March: No class.
16 March: Dedication and Sanctuary architecture, part I
Pausanias, 10.8.5-10; 10.9.1-10.19.4; 10.24.1-10.31.12
Tomlinson, Greek Sanctuaries (pp. 64-71)
17-18 March: Trip to Delphi
Site reports
21 March: No class.
4. The Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia
28 March: Foundation of games and sanctuary
Philostratos, On Gymnastics
Pindar, Olympian Ode 7
Pausanias, V.10.1-V.27.12; VI.18.7-VI.27.12
Mikalson, pp. 111-129.
30 March: Sanctuary architecture and sculpture
W. Raschke, “Images of Victory,” The Archaeology of the Olympics (pp. 38-54)
R. Tomlinson, Greek Sanctuaries (pp. 56-64)
4 April: No class
6 April: Field Trip-Olympieion and Ilissos Area
Meet at Hadrian’s Arch
Travlos, “Olympieion”
11 April: No class.
13 April: Field Trip-National Archaeological Museum
Meet at Museum entrance
14-15 April: Trip to Olympia
Site reports
18 April: TBA
5. The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidauros
25 April: Cult practice and sanctuary origins
Pindar, Pythian Ode 3
Pausanias, 2.27.1-7; 2.28.1-2
Homeric Hymn to Asklepios
Ovid, Metamorphoses, “Crow and Raven”
Rice and Stambaugh (pp. 69-75, 76-77)
Bruit Zaidman and Schmitt Pantel (pp. 128-32)
Tomlinson, Greek Sanctuaries (pp. 96-103)
27 April: Field Trip-Acropolis South Slope
Meet at Acropolis metro station
Travlos, “Theatre of Dionysos,” “Asklepieion”
28 April: Trip to Epidauros
Site reports
2 May: No class.
(Prepare for the final exam review!)
4 May: Final exam review
Sanctuary project due (informal presentations in class)
9 May: Final Exam