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Asklepios’ Arrival at Athens A Perspective on the Athenian Introduction of the Epidaurian Asklepios Cult (420/419 B.C.E.) in the Context of the Peace of Nikias and the Interstate Relations in Classical Greece Master Thesis Roy van Wijk 3351335 Research Master ‘Ancient Studies’ Utrecht University 1st Reader: Prof. Dr. J. Blok 2nd Reader: Prof. Dr. P. Funke July 2013 2 Preface The idea for this thesis came about during a trip to the Athenian Akropolis in April 2011, where I was advised by Dr. Floris van den Eijnde to look into the Asklepios-cult in Athens. The reader might notice that on differing occasions, the Greek version of names are offered, whereas in others the Latinised version is provided. I prefer to use Thucydides, for instance, instead of Thukydides, since it is more commonly employed in English texts. On occasion, instead of Pericles, I favour Perikles. In those latter cases, it is most likely to have been a matter of taste than common usage. Moreover, I have decided against quoting Greek text in full in my footnotes, or any Greek at all for that matter, unless I have actually utilised the written words in the language itself for my interpretation or assessment. For the translations of the Greek text, I have opted to make use of the Loeb editions, as I find their translations of the highest quality, especially since I am no classicist and my translations would not do justice to the beauty of the original Greek. Additionally, due to the limits of this work I have been unable to implement some events dating after 420 B.C.E., such as the rise of Alkibiades and the Kerykes’ dispute over the borders of the Pelargikon at Athens. Although it pained me to not make use of these occurrences and further broaden the scope of this thesis, I wished to solely focus on the events pre-dating the introduction of Asklepios instead, to provide a more concise and focused analysis. My thanks go out to my commentators and readers. First of all, I wish to thank my first and second reader, Prof. Blok and Prof. Funke, for their efforts in reading my thesis. Prof. Blok has continued to offer her enthusiastic support for my ideas and has remained patient with my writing throughout my master programme, allowing me to fulfil my potential. I am also grateful towards Prof. Funke, who steered me in the direction I have taken towards peace and treaties between poleis, during my stay at the Wilhelmsuniversität Münster. I would like to reserve a special thank you for Dr. van den Eijnde, who has always helped me in many great ways towards excellence with his enthusiasm and continued support for my ideas, as well as being a voluntary reader of my thesis. Others, however, should receive mention for their help in commenting on my thesis as well. Mounir Lahcen and Amber Brüsewitz have been vital for the structure and historical accurateness of my thesis. Another very warm word of gratitude goes to Laura Millar, who has been essential in not only reading my thesis, but just as much for helping me make sure the English in my thesis was correct, amongst other things. 3 Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7 1. The Factual Evidence ........................................................................................................... 11 1.1 The Geography ............................................................................................................... 11 1.2 Archaeological Evidence: The location and size of the sanctuary ................................. 13 1.3 Further information concerning Asklepios’ cult in Athens ............................................ 16 1.4 The Telemachos Monument ........................................................................................... 18 2. The difficulties of ‘cult’ definitions ..................................................................................... 22 2.1 Individual accomplishment or state involvement: An interpretation of the Telemachos monument ............................................................................................................................. 22 2.2 ‘Private’ versus ‘Public’ cult .......................................................................................... 25 2.3 Athenian Polis-cult: An analysis .................................................................................... 26 3. Asklepios in Athenian cults .................................................................................................. 29 3.1 Asklepios and the cult of Eleusinian Demeter and Kore ................................................ 29 3.2 Asklepios and the cult of Dionysos Eleutherios ............................................................. 32 4. Explanations for Asklepios’ introduction ............................................................................ 34 4.1 Asklepios and the Great Athenian Plague ...................................................................... 34 4.2 Athenian imperialism and Asklepios: The Akropolis .................................................... 37 4.2.2 The Greater Panathenaia and Athenian imperialism ................................................... 40 4.2.3 The City Dionysia and Athenian Imperialism ............................................................. 41 4.2.4 Eleusinian Demeter and Athenian Imperialism ........................................................... 42 4.3 Asklepios’ pompe and Athenian imperialism ................................................................. 43 5. The Archidamian War and the Peace of Nikias ................................................................... 46 5.1 Events affecting Athens during the Archidamian War ................................................... 47 5.2 The Athenian mindset between 431 and 421 B.C.E. ...................................................... 50 5.3 The Peace of Nikias ........................................................................................................ 59 5.4 Interstate relations in Classical Greece ........................................................................... 63 5.5 Interstate relations between Athens and Epidauros ............................................................ 67 6. Asklepios’ arrival: Reciprocity and Religion ....................................................................... 71 7. Athens, Asklepios and Peace ............................................................................................... 77 7.1 Peace and the Greater Mysteries .................................................................................... 77 4 7.2 Peace and the City Dionysia ........................................................................................... 80 7.3 Asklepios’ pompe ........................................................................................................... 83 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 86 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 88 Index of literary sources ......................................................................................................... 100 Index of epigraphical sources ................................................................................................. 104 Chronological Table ............................................................................................................... 105 Appendix I .............................................................................................................................. 106 Appendix II ............................................................................................................................ 110 5 Abbreviations AAA = AJA = American Journal of Archaeology AM = Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Athenische Abteilung AncSoc = Ancient Society ASAtene = Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente BCH = Bulletin de correspondance hellénique BEFAR = Bibliothèque des écoles françaises d'Athènes et de Rome. BICS = Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London BSA = Annual of the British School at Athens C&M = Classica et Mediavalia CQ = Classical Quarterly DK = Diel, H. And W. Kranz (eds.)(1961) Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker I. Berlin. FrGH = Jacoby, F. (1954-64) Fragmente der griechischen Historiker. Leiden. GRBS = Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies HThR = Harvard Theological Review IG = Inscriptiones Graecae JDAI = Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts JHS = Journal of Hellenic Studies HSCP = Harvard Studies of Classical Philology LIMC = Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich 1974 - ) LSJ = Liddell, H.G. and R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford 1940, 9th ed.) ML = R. Meiggs and D.M. Lewis, Greek Historical Inscriptions (Oxford 1969, 2nd ed.1989) PCPS = Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society P. Oxy = Oxyrhynchus papyri RPhil = Revue de philologie, de littérature et d'histoire anciennes RO = P.J. Rhodes and R.G. Osborne,
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