RITUAL, TRADITION AND PERFORMANCE: THE RHETORIC OF SACRED SPACES IN ANCIENT GREECE A Thesis Presented to the faculty of the Department of Communication Studies California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Communication Studies by Hannah Edwards SPRING 2017 © 2017 Hannah Edwards ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii RITUAL, TRADITION AND PERFORMANCE: THE RHETORIC OF SACRED SPACES IN ANCIENT GREECE A Thesis by Hannah Edwards Approved by: __________________________________, Committee Chair Mark A. E. Williams, Ph.D. __________________________________, Second Reader Nicholas F. Burnett, Ph.D. __________________________________, Third Reader Gerri Smith, Ph.D. __________________________ Date iii Student: Hannah Edwards I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the thesis. __________________________, Graduate Coordinator ___________________ Michele Foss-Snowden, Ph.D. Date Department of Communication Studies iv Abstract of RITUAL, TRADITION AND PERFORMANCE: THE RHETORIC OF SACRED SPACES IN ANCIENT GREECE by Hannah Edwards This thesis explores how space and ritual functioned rhetorically in religious settings in ancient Greece. Epidaurus, Eleusis, and Delphi were the three sacred spaces used as case studies. These spaces represented three different functions of Greek religion: healing, mystery cult, and oracular divination. Using the method of close reading, rhetorical analysis of the spaces and rituals revealed that foundation myths gave rhetorical meaning to the place of the sanctuary, which framed the spaces within it. This meaning was communicated to the inner self of the supplicants who performed rituals in those spaces. The repetition of rituals in those spaces made them into places of public memory, and the interplay of ritual, place, and memory resulted in a sense of Greek and polis identity. _______________________, Committee Chair Mark A. E. Williams, Ph.D. _______________________ Date v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS If you had told me 18 months ago that I would write a thesis to culminate my master’s degree I would not have believed you. Sometimes doing things that scare you are the most rewarding and worthwhile in the end. Of course, there were a few special people who helped me get through this scary thing. Prof. Williams, thank you for being an absolute dream to work with from start to finish, I genuinely could not have done this without you. I am so lucky to have found a professor with such an avid interest in classics to work with me on a thesis based in the ancient world. We made quite the team. Thanks for the coffee chats, putting up with my perpetual lateness, and understanding my British accent. You never gave up on me, and always pushed me to produce my best work. Sorry for the lost hours of sleep, but I will always be grateful to you for the effort you invested in me during my time at Sac State. Thank you also to Prof. Burnett and Dr. Smith, for your fast-paced reading, flexibility around my tight deadlines, and valuable input throughout the process. Thank you to my amazing parents, for your unfailing support and encouragement, despite an 8-hour time difference and 5000 miles between us. You kept me going through all the highs and lows, and celebrated every little milestone with me along the way. And thank you to my roommate Jocelyn, for driving me to the library whenever it was raining, and for putting up with all my moaning and late-night showers. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... .vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Background: Religion in Ancient Greece ..........................................................1 Polis Religion .............................................................................................2 Literature Review...............................................................................................7 Justification for Artifacts .................................................................................18 Epidaurus .................................................................................................20 Eleusis ......................................................................................................21 Delphi .......................................................................................................22 Method .............................................................................................................24 2. THE GREEK VIEW: RHETORICAL SACRED SPACES ..................................29 Introduction: Defining Spaces and Places .......................................................29 Epidaurus: Overview .......................................................................................30 Eleusis: Overview ............................................................................................37 Delphi: Overview .............................................................................................42 Epidaurus: Analysis .........................................................................................47 Sanctuaries as Memory Places .................................................................50 Eleusis: Analysis ..............................................................................................52 Memory Places as Destinations ...............................................................55 vii Delphi: Analysis...............................................................................................56 Conclusion .......................................................................................................58 3. ACTING GREEK: THE RHETORIC OF RITUAL PERFORMANCE ...............61 Ritual Space .....................................................................................................61 Epidaurus: Overview .......................................................................................62 Eleusis: Overview ............................................................................................69 Delphi: Overview .............................................................................................76 Myth, Place and Ritual: A Rhetorical Synthesis ..............................................85 Ritual and Memory ..................................................................................86 Conclusion .......................................................................................................97 4. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION ...............................................................102 Critical Problem .............................................................................................104 Modern Receptions ........................................................................................105 Territoriality of Religion in Modern America .......................................107 Future Research .............................................................................................108 Appendix A. Epidaurus ..............................................................................................111 Appendix B. Eleusis...................................................................................................113 Appendix C. Delphi ..................................................................................................115 References ..................................................................................................................117 viii 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Greek religion was deeply embedded in the larger network of relationships within the polis. Greek religion was religion-in-practice and Greek religious practices permeated all spheres of life. It follows that it is not possible to reflect upon Greek religion as a category in and of itself. (Kindt, 2012, p. 16) Background: Religion in Ancient Greece As in many contemporary cultures, religion was inextricably linked to everyday life in ancient Greece. Ancient Greeks had a reverential thambos (awe) for the supernatural forces that permeated their universe. The gods needed to be constantly appeased and consulted; all important transactions, both public and private, needed divine sanction and permission. Life revolved around the rhythm of religious festivals and the everyday performance of rituals to propitiate the gods. Social, political, and emotional stability depended on an orderly system of communication with the gods to secure and maintain divine favor. Greek religious beliefs and practices provided a connection between the humans and the gods, but also a strong link between the individual poleis and the rest of Greece (Kindt, 2012, p. 14). Eschewing any central orthodoxy, numerous and ubiquitous Greek gods oversaw and protected human activities in the mortal realm. Thus, from the ninth century BC onwards, Greek civilization became a temple culture, establishing places of cultural identity and prestige in which citizens could interact with the divine. Temples became sacred spaces organized around religious social systems, 2 facilitating social interaction in a religious setting, bestowing meaning upon human events, including suffering, illness, and death. The ancient Greeks understood sacred space in explicitly