Delphi and Olympia: The Spatial Politics of Panhellenism in the Archaic and Classical Periods

by Michael Scott

Overview

Most people think about the sanctuary of Delphi as the seat of the famous oracle and of Olympia as the site of the Olympic games. The oracle and the games, however, were but two of the many activities ongoing at both sites. This book investigates the physical remains of both sanctuaries to show how different visitors interacted with the sacred spaces of Delphi and Olympia in an important variety of ways during the archaic and classical periods. It highlights how this fluid usage impacted upon, and was itself affected by, the development of the sanctuary space and how such usage influenced the place and relationship of these two sites in the wider landscape. As a result, it argues for the re-evaluation of the roles of Delphi and Olympia in the Greek world and for a re-thinking of the usefulness of the term 'panhellenism' in Greek politics, religion and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521191265
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/22/2010
Pages:	378
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Michael Scott is Moses and Mary Finley Fellow in Ancient History at Darwin College, Cambridge. He has recently published From Democrats to Kings: The Brutal Dawn on a New World from the Downfall of Athens to the Rise of Alexander the Great (2009).

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Athletes and oracles - but what else?; 2. Dedicating at Olympia and Delphi; 3. Delphi 650–500 BC; 4. Delphi 500–400 BC; 5. Delphi 400–300 BC; 6. Olympia 650–479 BC; 7. Olympia 479–300 BC; 8. Comparing spaces; 9. Panhellenic sanctuaries and panhellenism in context.

Editorial Reviews

"It is the particular merit of [the book that it] has turned to the archaeology, monuments, dedications and buildings of these sanctuary sites to test the nature of panhellenism as it changed over the archaic and classical periods." —TLS

From the Publisher