Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times

This study documents and analyses the structure and function of Greek incubation rituals in Classical and Hellenistic times addressing all relevant and extant literary and epigraphical testimonial concerning the rites and rules surrounding incubation. It shows that previous approaches, which treated...

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מחבר ראשי: Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
פורמט: Online
שפה:אנגלית
יצא לאור: Presses universitaires de Liège 2023
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גישה מקוונת:ONIX_20230911_9782875623775_149
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author Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
author_browse Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
author_facet Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
author_sort Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This study documents and analyses the structure and function of Greek incubation rituals in Classical and Hellenistic times addressing all relevant and extant literary and epigraphical testimonial concerning the rites and rules surrounding incubation. It shows that previous approaches, which treated incubation as a Chthonian phenomenon, as a rite of passage, or as comparable to initiation in mystery cults are not supported by the available testimonia on these rites. An analysis of the social context of the rites surrounding incubation shows they differed surprisingly little from the rites performed by other worshippers at these sanctuaries. Various ritual factors are explored in order to explain why ordinary, or low-intensity, rites could create a high-intensity experience for the worshipper. Further, the structure of incubation rituals is examined in the light of the origins and development of the practice in Greece. Contrary to previous theories on the origins of incubation, it is argued that the phenomenon began as an exclusive consultation technique for priests, magistrates and select worshippers and was a natural variant of oracular techniques in Archaic and Early Classical Greece. When incubation became accessible to everyone in Classical society as a part of the cult of Asklepios, rituals for the masses were then created. The ritual did not have one, coherent structure across all the sanctuaries which offered it ; rather, the ritual practice adapted to local customs and factors such as the size of the cult. Some rites for intermediaries were kept, but new motivational factors were added, which resulted in very popular cults.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1136542024-04-02T13:59:02Z Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig rituals Ancient Greece thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHC Ancient history This study documents and analyses the structure and function of Greek incubation rituals in Classical and Hellenistic times addressing all relevant and extant literary and epigraphical testimonial concerning the rites and rules surrounding incubation. It shows that previous approaches, which treated incubation as a Chthonian phenomenon, as a rite of passage, or as comparable to initiation in mystery cults are not supported by the available testimonia on these rites. An analysis of the social context of the rites surrounding incubation shows they differed surprisingly little from the rites performed by other worshippers at these sanctuaries. Various ritual factors are explored in order to explain why ordinary, or low-intensity, rites could create a high-intensity experience for the worshipper. Further, the structure of incubation rituals is examined in the light of the origins and development of the practice in Greece. Contrary to previous theories on the origins of incubation, it is argued that the phenomenon began as an exclusive consultation technique for priests, magistrates and select worshippers and was a natural variant of oracular techniques in Archaic and Early Classical Greece. When incubation became accessible to everyone in Classical society as a part of the cult of Asklepios, rituals for the masses were then created. The ritual did not have one, coherent structure across all the sanctuaries which offered it ; rather, the ritual practice adapted to local customs and factors such as the size of the cult. Some rites for intermediaries were kept, but new motivational factors were added, which resulted in very popular cults. 2023-09-11T07:38:58Z 2023-09-11T07:38:58Z 2015 book ONIX_20230911_9782875623775_149 9782875623775 9782875620859 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/113654 eng Kernos suppléments image/jpeg n/a https://www.7switch.com/fr/ebook/9782875623775/from/openedition https://books.openedition.org/pulg/15905 Presses universitaires de Liège 10.4000/books.pulg.15905 10.4000/books.pulg.15905 2e1be080-04bf-49c1-ba08-e6934a18e43e 9782875623775 9782875620859 282 Liège open access
spellingShingle rituals
Ancient Greece
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHC Ancient history
Von Ehrenheim, Hedvig
Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title_full Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title_fullStr Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title_full_unstemmed Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title_short Greek Incubation Rituals in Classical and Hellenistic Times
title_sort greek incubation rituals in classical and hellenistic times
topic rituals
Ancient Greece
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHC Ancient history
topic_facet rituals
Ancient Greece
thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NH History::NHC Ancient history
url ONIX_20230911_9782875623775_149
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