Greek Sanctuaries

Greek Sanctuaries: New Approaches examines some of the major and less well known Greek sanctuaries from a new perspective. The traditional approach to Greek sanctuaries and especially temples has been descriptive. Much emphasis is commonly placed on architectural features but only rarely is there an attempt to look at the totality of functions that a Greek sanctuary might encompass. This collection of articles addresses the critical questions which related to the diverse purposes of the sanctuaries: what was their social function? Who were their clients? And how does the history of sanctuaries reflect the development of Archaic and Classical Greek culture and civilization? Regional links and variations are stressed, while some sanctuaries are shown to have had particular uses such as dining and initiation. Among the cults discussed are the Eleusinian mysteries for which a new reconstruction is proposed.