Our systems are now restored following recent technical disruption, and we’re working hard to catch up on publishing. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Find out more

Recommended product

Popular links

Popular links


Athletes and Oracles

Athletes and Oracles

Athletes and Oracles

The Transformation of Olympia and Delphi in the Eighth Century BC
Catherine Morgan, Royal Holloway, University of London
February 1990
Available
Hardback
9780521374514
£116.00
GBP
Hardback
GBP
Paperback

    This book is a study of the origins and development of cult practice at Olympia and Delphi. It traces changing patterns of activity through the material record, and challenges many assumptions about the nature and role of the archaeological data. Dr Morgan considers the economics of dedication, technology and the organization of craft production, which provide insights into the behaviour of producers and purchasers of material dedicated at sanctuaries. Her study is exceptional for the emphasis placed upon the two sites in their contemporary local contexts and their changing roles in society. The progression of state formation is discussed through the relationship between changes in dedicatory practice during the eighth century and the changing needs of communities. The book concludes with a detailed study of the wider roles of Olympia and Delphi as two major sanctuaries in Archaic Greece, considering their relationships with other sites and their place in the Greek festival calendar.

    Product details

    February 1990
    Hardback
    9780521374514
    340 pages
    225 × 147 × 29 mm
    0.565kg
    8 b/w illus. 10 maps 2 tables
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • List of illustrations
    • Acknowledgements
    • Abbreviations
    • 1. Sanctuaries and the rise of the Greek state
    • 2. The sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia
    • 3. The early history of Olympia
    • 4. Phokian settlement and the sanctuary at Delphi
    • 5. The institution of the Delphic oracle: oracular responses from Delphi
    • 6. Sanctuaries, the state and the individual
    • Appendix 1. Iron age archaeological evidence from the region of Elis
    • Appendix 2. Archaeological evidence from Phokis
    • Appendix 3. The cemetery at Galaxidi
    • Notes
    • Bibliography
    • General index
    • Topographical index.
      Author
    • Catherine Morgan , Royal Holloway, University of London