Transcript Slide 1

Significant Sites of Sparta
‘ If Lacedaemon were ever laid waste and there remained
only the foundations of the temples and public buildings,
those born into a world of the far future would find it
difficult to believe that the power of Sparta had deserved its
reputation.”
Thucydides 4th century BC
Spartan Reflections
Paul Cartledge
• “Most relevant to us is the category of the limitary sanctuary. This
comprised sanctuaries that were borderline in a literal and
metaphorical sense, being located on natural or artificial boundaries
within or between communities. As such, they might serve a variety
of purposes; to articulate the necessary organic relationship
between the countryside ( the economic basis 0 and urban centre (
the political infrastructure ), or to mark ritually the symbolic passage
of citizens from wild adolescence to tame civic maturity, or to
establish, consolidate or promulgate a state’s claim to border
territory against a neighbour- which was always the prime cause
and context of ancient Greek interstate warfare.
• The limitary sanctuaries that concern us here are of two main sorts;
first those which formed a kind of pomerium or sacred boundary
around Sparta itself and, second those which served to define
Spartan citizen territory, the politike, against the territory of the
perioikoi. “
Athena
Chalkoikos
Artemis -Orthia
Menelaion
Throne of Apollo at
Amyclae
Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia
Acropolis of Sparta
Sanctuary of Apollo at Amyklai
Menelaion
“ Thanks to their newly increased agriculturally derived wealth and
furthur enriched spoils of war, the Spartan ruling elite of kings and
aristocracy were able as well as willing to build for Orthia her first
temple within a newly defined temenos. Indeed it is the building of
this temple, together with those for the city- goddess Athena on what
passed for the Akropolis of Sparta and for Menelaus and Helen jointly
at the Menelaion site a little way east of Eurotas, that signalled both
materially and spiritually the emergance of the Spartan polis.”
Cartledge P Spartan Reflections
Problems of Evidence
• Early building materials were timber which was not
preserved
• Stone buildings, usually religious in nature were built
over in successive periods of history
• The nature of Spartan society placed little value on
luxurious living and ornate public buildings
• Surrounding mountains provided a natural fortress from
invasion, therefore there was no need to build city walls.
• Political discussions took place in the open air to allow
for large numbers.
• Only written evidence of a Spartan infrastructure comes
from a non Spartan , Pausanius, a Greek traveller of the
2nd century AD
Sanctuary at Artemis Orthia
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Pausanius on the Sanctuary; “
Limnaeum ( marshy ) is sacred to
Artemis Orthia. The wooden image
there they say is that which once
Orestes and Iphogenia stole out of the
Tauric land , and the Lacedaemonians
say that it was brought to their land
because there also Orestes was king.”
“The temple of Artemis at Limnai [in Lakedaimonia], at which the Messenians [historically] are reputed
to have outraged the maidens who had come to the sacrifice, is on the boundaries between Lakonia
and Messenia, where both peoples held assemblies and offered sacrifice in common; and they say that
it was after the outraging of the maidens, when the Messenians refused to give satisfaction for the act,
that the war took place. And it is after this Limnai, also, that the Limnaion, the temple of Artemis
in Sparta, has been named." -Strabo 8.4.9
Excavations at Artemis Orthia
• Located on the west bank of the Eurotas river, the sanctuary
consisted of a wall enclosing an altar and a small temple
• The Sanctuary was first founded in the 10th century with a simple
altar, but was enlarged in the 9th century built with stones. The
temple suffered great destruction by flood at the beginning of the 6th
century but was soon rebuilt. The large archaic temple which is
preserved today consisted of a cella and pronaos with two Doric
columns at the East side
• In the Roman period a theatre was built to accommodate the visitors
who came to watch the ritual flogging at the altar. At the same time ,
they built an oblong altar close to the temple.
• The sanctuary was excavated by the British Archaeological school
at Athens 1906-10 under R M Dawkins
• No restoration work has yet been undertaken on the site
Finds at Artemis Orthia
Clay masks and ivory carvings from the site of Artemis Orthia
Significance
• Many inscriptions were found bearing dedications by
victors ( boys ) who won contests in honour of Artemis.
The earliest dates from 4th century BC
• Small finds were dominated by lead figurines and clay
masks
• A wide range of carved ivory and bone objects dated to
the archaic period including ivory plaques and combs.
They can be interpreted as votive offerings and probably
having an apotropaic character during religious
ceremonies
• The evidence of these arts demonstrated that until well
into the 6th century, Sparta did not conform to the later
image of a society devoid of aesthetic culture
Acropolis of Sparta
“ There is a sanctuary built here of Athena of the city, who is also
called Athena Chalkioikos. According to the story it was Tyndareos
who started the building of this sanctuary, and when he died his
sons wanted to finish the building from the spoils of Aphidna
…..it was the Laconians many years afterwards who erected the
temple and the bronze statue, which was made by a local man
Gitiadas.” Pausanius
Excavations
• Excavations began at the end of the last century
under the guidance of American and Greek
archaeologists while since 1905 digging has
been carried out by the British school at Athens.
New excavations have begun five years ago,
mainly at the area of the theatre and the shops
• The various monuments on the site have not yet
been restored yet but there is a plan for the
drawing and conservation of the ancient theatre
with the financial support of the European Union
Important Finds
The finest exhibit is the marble Lacedemonian warrior
which may well represent Leonidas, the heroic king of Sparta
The Bronze Statuette of a Trumpeter
Dedicated to Athena, from the Acropolis of Sparta.
Circa 500 BCE
Height 0.13 m
Archaeological Museum of Sparta
The Statue of Leonidas
Found in the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos.
From shortly after 480 BCE
Archaeological Museum of Sparta, Greece
Significance
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The remains of the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos on top of the Acropolis is one of the most
important cult sites of the town. A late archaic and early classical stoa was found, as were
contemporary enclosure walls
The Temple, which was constructed on the plans of the architect Vathykles from Magnesia, had
its interior decorated with bronze sheets
The Temple of Athena and the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia are the only two remains of the early
archaic and classical period.
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The Bronze Statuette of Athena
Dedicated to the Patron Goddess of the city circa 450 BCE, this statuette was discovered during
excavations in the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos, on the Acropolis of Sparta. In her raised right
hand the Goddess held her spear, while the now missing shield covered her left side. She wears
an Attic helmet with uplifted cheekpieces.
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The extant remains of the theatre and shops are Roman although evidence of an earlier theatre
built on the same site goes back to 200 BC. Since Spartans held no theatre it is believed largely to
have been used for political assemblies and sporting events.
Like many ancient cities the polis activity took place in open spaces, allowing the larger
assemblies
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The Menelaeon
‘…the story is that Menelaos and Helen are
buried here.” Pausanius
Excavation
• Situated 5km southeast of Sparta on top of Mt
Parnon, above the eastern bank of the Eurotas
river, the area was known as Therapne in
ancient times.
• In 1889 Mycanaean pottery sherds, were
discovered by Gk archaeologist Tsountas
• Excavations were conducted by the British
Archaeological School at Athens in 1909 under
R Dawkins and most significantly in 1973-76
under Dr H Catling, who identified the sanctuary
as Late Mycenaean.
Significant finds
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From the geometric period a foundation of the sacred peribolus( enclosed
court ) and altar were excavated
From the archaic period ( 500 BC ) the remains of the first monumental
building, consisting of a small cella ( inner room of the temple ) made of
rectangular porous stones was excavated. The monument was surrounded
by a broad terrace with a ramp leading up from the west side
From the classical period it appears there was construction of a large
crepidoma( stone base of the temple ) on which a cella was built, in the
shape of a pyramid
To the north of the monument a classical cistern, built to provide water
supply to the shrine, has been excavated. In Catling’s excavation of the “
Great Pit’ on the north east side of the shrine large quantities of votives,
including small Laconian vases, terracottas, iron objects, lead and bronze
items were discovered, two of which bear dedicatory inscriptions
The significance of this site is that it shows continuous use from 8th century
BC through to 2nd century AD.
Bronze statues from the shrine of
Menelaion
Sanctuary of Apollo
at Amyclae
“The older tripods are said to be a tithe of the Messenian War. Under the first stood an
image of Aphrodite, and under the second an Artemis; these and the reliefs [on the
tripods] are by Gitiadas, but the third is by Kallon of Aigina; Kore, daughter of Demeter,
stands under it. Aristandros of Paros and Polykleitos of Argos made, respectively, the
woman with the lyre, supposedly Sparta, and the Aphrodite "beside the Amyklaian."
These tripods are larger than the others, and were dedicated from the spoils of the
victory at Aigospotamoi.
”Pausanias 3.18.8
Spartan Reflections
• “ By far the most important of these
limitary sanctuaries in the immediate
environs of Sparta was that of Apollo and
Hyakinthos, located at
Amyclae…Significantly it was here at the
Amyklaion and not in Sparta town that the
Spartans principal “ national “ religious
festival was celebrated.”
Excavations
• The sanctuary was excavated in 1890 by
Gk archaeologist Tsountas. Later
excavations were carried out By
Furtwaengler and Feichter in 1904
• Many architectural parts from the throne of
Bathykles were recognised and published
bt Prof Delivorrias in 1968
Significant Finds
• The site of Amyklae flourished in almost all the periods from Archaic
to Roman
• The most important festival the Hyakinthos took place at Amyklae
• The Throne of Apollo included an altar, which surrounded on three
sides the colossal column shaped statue of the god. It was
decorated with relief representations and plastic composition
• The tomb altar of the local god Hyakinthos was used as the pedestal
of the statue
• Architectural parts of a composite style, both Doric and Ionic are
held in the Sparta Museum
• It is believed to be the work of Bathykles, an artist from Magnesia,
dated to the archaic period
• Also located here are the tripods from the war against the
Messenians
Significant finds
Ionic Capital from the Temple
of Apollo