Published by the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome. Out of print.

The gods and the place. Location and function of sanctuaries in the countryside of Etruria and Magna Graecia (700–400 B.C.)

By Ingrid Edlund

Abstract

This study presents the archaeological evidence for the many different places of worship used by the Etruscans and Greeks in ancient Italy. Common to both cultures was the tradition of sacred places in nature such as mountains, caves, groves, and springs which had often been in use since prehistoric times. Other types of sanctuaries reflect the development of the urban settlements in contrast to the rural life of the countryside. A main distinction is made between the temples and other sanctuaries which were extra-mural and located in direct proximity to the city or extra-urban and located in the countryside but controlled by the city, and the rural sanctuaries which served the needs of the rural population. Because of the differences in the settlement history of Etruria and Magna Graecia, the Etruscan sanctuaries were for the most part extra-mural or extra-urban, whereas the Greek colonies and their rural territories give examples of a variety of extra-mural, extra-urban, and rural sanctuaries. Peculiar to the Etruscan system of coalitions between some cities were the political sanctuaries which served as gathering places for representatives for different communities under the protection of the gods.

The traditions of sacred places in nature and the extra-mural, extra-urban, rural and political sanctuaries are documented by an evaluation of the archaeological, historical, and literary evidence. The main conclusion of the study is that these Etruscan and Greek traditions were a major factor in the development of Roman religious practices which in turn influenced the location and form of early Christian shrines.

Bibliographical information

Ingrid Edlund, The gods and the place. Location and function of sanctuaries in the countryside of Etruria and Magna Graecia (700–400 B.C.) (Skrifter utgivna av Svenska institutet i Rom, 4°, 43), Stockholm 1987. Softcover: 156 pp. ISSN 0081-993X. ISBN 9789170421198.

Published with the aid of a grant from the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.