Space and the notion of final frontier. Searching for ritual boundaries in the Classical Athenian home

The Classical Athenians were careful to separate the spaces of men from the spaces of gods. Yet when we look at the Athenian house, religious areas cannot be distinguished. This paper offers an investigation of how religious boundaries may be created by action and perception rather than bricks and m...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Kernos
Main Author: Morgan, Janett (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Centre [2007]
In: Kernos
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:The Classical Athenians were careful to separate the spaces of men from the spaces of gods. Yet when we look at the Athenian house, religious areas cannot be distinguished. This paper offers an investigation of how religious boundaries may be created by action and perception rather than bricks and mortar. Scholars of ancient Greek religion should not expect to see the permanence of public cult mirrored in domestic settings. One single, domestic space could host many activities; its meaning could be changed by ritual behaviour. The temporary nature of domestic space allowed the residents of the Athenian house the freedom to use their domestic spaces according to their needs, thus integrating the lives of gods and men in one location.
Contains:Enthalten in: Kernos
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.4000/kernos.175