Asclepius in Messene | Amsterdam University Press Journals Online
2004
Volume 56, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0165-8204
  • E-ISSN: 2667-1573

Abstract

Abstract

The city of Messene was re-founded as the central polis of Messenia after the region’s liberation from Spartan domination in 369 BC. At the end of the third or during the first half of the second century BC, an impressive sanctuary for the healing god Asclepius was built in the city centre. This contribution focuses on the question why the city built such a magnificent Asclepieum at this point in its history. Part of the answer lies in local and regional tradition. The Messenians claimed Asclepius and his sons as their compatriots, a claim dating back to the Late Archaic period, and part of the site of the Hellenistic Asclepieum had been a place of worship for the healing god since the Classical period. But in trying to explain the sanctuary’s grandiose rebuilding in the Hellenistic period, it is also useful to look into the political situation of the city in the early second century, a time when its independence and its dominant position in the region were eroding.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5117/LAM2023.1.005.FLIN
2023-03-01
2024-04-19
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abbenes, J.2012. Pausanias. Rondleiding door Griekenland [Περιήγησις Ἑλλάδος] (twee delen), Soest.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Agrimonti, S.2021. Interstate Arbitrations in Hellenistic Messenia (diss.), Cincinnati.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Bessac, J.-C. en S.Müth. 2020. ‘Economic Challenges of Building a Geländemauer in the Middle of the 4th Century BC. Quantifying the city wall of Messene’, in M.Heinzelmann en C.Recko (eds), Quantifying Ancient Building Economy, Panel 3.24, Heidelberg, 23-37.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Cartledge, P.20022. Sparta and Lakonia. A regional history 1300 to 362 BC, Londen/New York.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. D’Alessio, G.B.2005. ‘The Megalai Ehoiai. A survey of the fragments’, in R.Hunter (ed.), The Hesiodic Catalogue of Women. Constructions and reconstructions, Cambridge, 176-216.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Deshours, N.2008. ‘Panthéon et identité civiques à Messène (de la fondation de la cité à l’époque impériale)’, in C.Grandjean (ed.), Le Péloponnèse d’Épaminondas à Hadrien, Parijs/Bordeaux, 167-189.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Despinis, G.J.1966. ‘Ein neues Werk des Damophon’, Archäologischer Anzeiger1966, 378-385.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Graf, F.2006. ‘Asclepius I. Religion’, in Brill’s New Pauly (online geraadpleegd op 5januari2022).
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Grandjean, C.2003. Les Messéniens de 370/369 au 1er siècle de notre ère. Monnayages et histoire, Athene/Parijs.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Grandjean, C. (ed.). 2008. Le Péloponnèse d’Épaminondas à Hadrien, Parijs/Bordeaux.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Grandjean, C. en H.Nicolet-Pierre. 2008. ‘Le décret de Lykosoura en l’honneur de Damophon et la circulation monétaire dans le Péloponnèse aux IIIe-IIe siècles avant notre ère’, Ktèma33, 129-134.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Hansen, M.H. en T.Fischer-Hansen. 1994. ‘Monumental Political Architecture in Archaic and Classical Greek Poleis. Evidence and historical significance’, in D.Whitehead (ed.), From Political Architecture to Stephanus Byzantius. Sources for the ancient Greek polis, Stuttgart, 23-90.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Hirschberger, M.2004. Gynaikōn Katalogos und Megalai Ēhoiai. Ein Kommentar zu den Fragmenten zweier hesiodeischer Epen, München/Leipzig.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Hoover, O.D.2011. Handbook of Coins of the Peloponnesos. Achaia, Phleiasia, Sikyonia, Elis, Triphylia, Messenia, Lakonia, Argolis, and Arkadia. Sixth to First Centuries BC (The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series 5), Lancaster/Londen.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Johnstone, C.L. en R.J.Graff. 2018. ‘Situating Deliberative Rhetoric in Ancient Greece. The bouleutêrion as a venue for oratorical performance’, Advances in the History of Rhetoric21, 2-88.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Koning, H. en H.Verheij. 2018. Het eiland van Pelops. Een literaire reis door de Peloponnesus, Amsterdam.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Kralli, I.2017. The Hellenistic Peloponnese: Interstate Relations. A narrative and analytic history from the fourth century to 146 BC, Swansea.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Luraghi, N.2008. The Ancient Messenians. Constructions of ethnicity and memory, Cambridge.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Luraghi, N.2015. ‘Traces of Federalism in Messenia’, in H.Beck en P.Funke (eds), Federalism in Greek Antiquity, Cambridge, 285-296.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Luraghi, N. en A.Magnetto. 2012. ‘The controversy between Megalopolis and Messene’, Chiron42, 509-550.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. McDonald, W.A.1943. The Political Meeting Places of the Greeks, Baltimore.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Melfi, M.2007. I santuari di Asclepio in Grecia, Volume 1, Rome.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Most, G.W.2018 [2007]. Hesiod. The Shield – Catalogue of Women – Other Fragments, Cambridge, MA/Londen.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Müth, S.2007. Eigene Wege. Topographie und Stadtplan von Messene in spätklassischhellenistischer Zeit, Rahden.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Müth, S.2014. ‘The Historical Context of the City Wall of Messene’, Proceedings of the Danish Institute at Athens7, 106-122.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Østby, E.2014. ‘The Classical Temple of Athena Alea at Tegea’, in E.Østby (ed.), Tegea II. Investigations in the sanctuary of Athena Alea 1990-1994 and 2004, Athene, 317-351.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Orlandos, A.K.1965. ‘Δύο ἐπιγραφαὶ ἐκ Μεσσήνης’, Ἀρχαιολογικὴ Ἐφημερίς1965, 110-121.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Parker, R.2011. On Greek Religion, Ithaca/Londen.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Piolot, L.2005. ‘Nom d’une Artémis! À propos de l’Artémis Phôsphoros de Messène’, Kernos18, 113-140.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Pitt, R.2013. ‘Thouria – 2012’, Archaeology in Greece Online, report 3314: chronique.efa.gr/?kroute=report&id=3314 (geraadpleegd op 26januari2022).
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Riethmüller, J.W.2005. Asklepios. Heiligtümer und Kulte (twee delen), Heidelberg.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Rizakis, A.D.2008. Achaïe III. Les cités achéennes: épigraphie et histoire, Athene.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Roebuck, C.A.1941. A History of Messenia from 369 to 146 B.C., Chicago.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Robert, L. en J.Robert. 1966. ‘Bulletin épigraphique’, Revue des Études Grecques79, 335-449.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Sève, M.2008. ‘Le dossier épigraphique du sculpteur Damophon de Messène’, Ktèma33, 117-128.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Shipley, D.G.J.2018. The Early Hellenistic Peloponnese. Politics, economies, and networks 338-197 BC, Cambridge.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Sineux, P.1997. ‘À propos de l’Asclépieion de Messène. Asclépios poliade et guérisseur’, Revue des Études Grecques110, 1-24.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Sioumpara, E.P.2011. Der Asklepios-Tempel von Messene auf der Peloponnes. Untersuchungen zur hellenistischen Tempelarchitektur, München.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Stafford, E.2012. Herakles, Londen/New York.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Themelis, P.1992. ‘Ἀνασκαφὴ Μεσσήνης’, Πρακτικὰ τῆς ἀρχαιολογικῆς ἑταιρείας1989, 63-122.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Themelis, P.1993. ‘Damophon von Messene’, Antike Kunst36, 24-40.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Themelis, P.1994a. ‘Hellenistic architectural terracottas from Messene’, in N.A.Winter (ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Greek Architectural Terracottas of the Classical and Hellenistic Periods, Princeton, NJ, 141-169.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Themelis, P.1994b. ‘Ἀνασκαφὴ Μεσσήνης’, Πρακτικὰ τῆς ἀρχαιολογικῆς ἑταιρείας1991, 85-128.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Themelis, P.1996. ‘Damophon’, Yale Classical Studies30, 154-185.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Themelis, P.1997. ‘Ἀνασκαφὴ Μεσσήνης’, Πρακτικὰ τῆς ἀρχαιολογικῆς ἑταιρείας1994, 68-99.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Themelis, P.2000. Ήρωες και Ηρώα στη Μεσσήνη, Athene.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Themelis, P.2003. Ancient Messene, Athene.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Themelis, P.2010a. Αρχαία Μεσσήνη. Ιστορία – Μνημεία – Άνθρωποι, Athene.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Themelis2010b, ‘Το Ασκληπιείο της Μεσσήνης’, Δέλτος40, 5-25.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Wickkiser, B.L.2010. ‘Asklepios in Greek and Roman Corinth’, in S.J.Friesen, D.N.Schowalter en J.C.Walters (eds), Corinth in Context. Comparative studies on religion and society, Leiden/Boston, 37-66.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.5117/LAM2023.1.005.FLIN
Loading
/content/journals/10.5117/LAM2023.1.005.FLIN
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error