The Origins of the Greek Temple: Testing Past Perspectives Today

Nearly forty years ago, I suggested that in the early iron age in Greece, the role of urban temples was fulfilled by the dwellings of the ‘rulers’ and distinguished members of the elite. This included the celebration inside the structures of large-scale feasts, several of which would have been ritual in character. Indeed, in several cases, it was possible to argue that these dwellings were located close to open-air sanctuaries and often associated with an altar. The role of such buildings began to evolve during the eighth century BC as the socio-political conditions developed with the genesis of the polis (‘city-state’). When these ‘rulers’ ceded their place to a collegial board of members of the elite, responsible for the management of the public affairs, ritual activities were moved into cult buildings, which now also contained the cult image of the divinity. Gradually, such activities moved outside the temple, often within edifices specially designed for such purposes, the hestiatoria. The seminar will present this old thesis and test its validity after decades of intensive archaeological research that has almost doubled our evidence.