Panhellenism in the Roman Empire, Formations of New Identities by

377 Pages·2012·9.43 MB·English

Roman Infrastructural Changes to Greek Sanctuaries and Games:
Panhellenism in the Roman Empire, Formations of New Identities
by
Karen A. Laurence

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Classical Art and Archaeology)
in the University of Michigan
2012

Doctoral Committee:

Professor Sharon Herbert, Chair
Professor Lisa C. Nevett
Professor David Potter
Associate Professor Christopher Ratté
Assistant Professor Steven J. R. Ellis, University of Cincinnati
© Karen A. Laurence 2012
Acknowledgments

I would first and foremost like to thank my advisor, Sharon Herbert. Her support and
encouragement to pursue this topic was unflagging. I would also like to thank Steven Ellis, a
valued friend and mentor, for inviting me to join the East Isthmia Archaeology Project, which
was the impetus for the topic of this dissertation. Lisa Nevett has been a positive and supportive
source throughout this process, with tremendous insight into theoretical issues and
nonmonumental architecture. Also I give my thanks to Christopher Ratté, for his meticulous
attention to detail and encouragement to question everything, and David Potter, for bringing a
current perspective to the field of sports in ancient Greece, in addition to his academic excellence
in the area.
This dissertation was made possible by the financial support of the University of
Michigan, the Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology, the Rackham
Graduate School, the American School of Classical Studies, and the University of Cincinnati. I
would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement I received from the scholars and staff
at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, especially Jack Davis, Margie Miles,
Charles K. Williams, Nancy Bookidis, Denver Graninger, Guy Sanders, Sherri Stocker, James
Herbst, and Ioulia Tzonou-Herbst. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the other members of the East
Isthmia Archaeological Project, including Timothy E. Gregory, Eric Poehler, Allison Emerson,
Christian Cloke, and Syd Evans.
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The Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology and Kelsey Museum of
Archaeology has been my happy home for the last seven years. I would like to thank all of the
staff at the museum for their help and encouragement in this process, especially Alex Zwinak. I
would not have been able to complete this work without the wonderful students with whom I
shared this museum. To the other members of my cohort, Adela Sobotkova and Lorraine Knop,
but especially Leah Long. I also thank Lisa Çakmak, Adrian Ossi, James Cook, Diana Ng, Angela
Commito, Seth Button, Dwanna Crain, Kevin Dicus, Dan Diffendale, Kate Larson, Hima
Mallampati, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, Ben Rubin, Emma Sachs, Ryan Hughes, Tom Landvatter,
Jason Farr, as well as Katherine Lu and Joseph Groves.
During my year at the American School of Classical Studies, I met not only colleges, but
also extraordinary friends. I would especially like to thank Emily Egan and Natalie Abell, with or
without all of their talk about the Bronze Age. I also thank Rob Nichols, Katie McCormick,
Denise Demitriou, Johanna Best, Cat Person, and Jess Paga, and everyone else at Loring Hall.
My non-academic friends were instrumental in my maintaining my sanity through the last
seven years. Thanks to my brothers and sisters-in-law, Greg and Mina, and Dave and Ako, for
their constant support, encouragement, and laughs. Thanks to Soncerae and Bryce Yeager, and
little Owen and Claire, for providing a home away from home and some sanity-within-insanity,
whether it be in Michigan, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania. Thanks also to the DeVonos, Nisleys,
Ferraras, and Ferraro-Kidwells for the bottles of wine, good food, and time spent not talking
about ancient sports and society.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents, James and Deanna Laurence, whom I am
honored to not only call my parents, but two of my best friends. You have always supported me
in all of my endeavors, have encouraged me to follow my passions. I love you both.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ii

List of Figures vii

Abstract vii

Chapter 1: Introduction: (Re)organization of the Greek Panhellenic sanctuaries in
the Roman period 1
1. Introduction
2. Bureaucracy and the organization of religious space
3. The study of infrastructure
4. The question
5. The argument
5.1. Overview of the dissertation chapters

Chapter 2: Negotiation of Greek and Roman identities in the province of Achaea 16
1. Introduction
1.1. “Romanization” and the study of Greco-Roman identities
1.1.1. The spread of paideia in the Greek world
1.1.2. Hellenism and Italic identity
2. Greece in the late Hellenistic period
3. The province of Achaea
3.1. Augustan Greece
3.2. Tiberius to Trajan
3.3. Hadrian
4. Conclusion

Chapter 3: Hellenic festivals and games in the Roman period 45
1. Introduction
2. Athletic competitions in Archaic & Classical Greece
3. Hellenistic expansion of the athletic program
4. History of professional associations
4.1. Development of athletic synods
5. Athletics in the Roman period
6. Conclusion

Chapter 4: The sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia: Conservatism and change in a
Panhellenic sanctuary 70
1. Introduction
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1.1. History of scholarship
1.2. History of Roman Olympia
1.3. Elis, mother-city of the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia
2. Epigraphic evidence for Roman Olympia
2.1. Religious personnel
2.2. Roman Olympic victors
3. Julio-Claudian reorganization of the sacred space
4. Water supply and baths in the sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia
4.1. Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus
4.2. Kladeos Baths
4.3. Bath to the south of the Leonidaion
4.4. Other bath complexes in the sanctuary of Zeus
5. Hostels in the sanctuary of Zeus
5.1. Leonidaion
5.2. Peristyle building north of the Prytaneion
6. Southwest building
7. Conclusions

Chapter 5: The sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi: Pythian Panhellenism 137
1. Introduction
1.1. History of scholarship
1.2. History of Roman Delphi
2. Epigraphic Evidence for the administration of the Pythian Games
2.1. Augustan reforms
2.1.1. Changes to the Pythian religious personnel under the Julio-
Claudians
2.2. Possible Neronian reforms
2.3. Amphiktyonic controversies
2.4. Amphiktyony in Pausanias’ time
3. Archaeological evidence
3.1. Domitianic restoration of the temple of Apollo
3.2. Herodes Atticus in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
3.3. East Baths
3.4. “Roman Agora”
3.5. Gymnasium complex and Roman bath
3.5.1. The Greek period gymnasium
3.5.2. The Roman period gymnasium
4. Conclusions

Chapter 6: Argos and the Nemean Games: APanhellenic Game in an urban context
176
1. Introduction
1.1. History of scholarship
1.2. History of the Nemean Games
2. The theater
3. The Roman Bath
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4. The Agora
5. Conclusions

Chapter 7: The sanctuary of Poseidon at Isthmia: Panhellenism administered by a
Roman colony 198
1. Introduction
1.1. History of scholarship
1.2. History of Roman Corinth
1.3. History of the Isthmian sanctuary
2. Roman epigraphic evidence for the Isthmian Games
2.1. Religious personnel
2.2. Roman Isthmian victors
3. The Roman period organization of the sacred space
3.1. The Palaimonion
3.2. Roman temenos walls
4. Terracing, roads, and landscaping
4.1. Roman arch
5. Water supply in the sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia
5.1. Roman baths
5.2. Roman cisterns
5.3. Additional hydraulic infrastructure
6. The area east of the temenos of Poseidon
6.1. East Isthmia Archaeology Project
6.1.1. Preliminary results
7. Conclusions

Chapter 8: Conclusion: The Roman infrastructure and bureaucracy of the
Panhellenic sanctuaries 263
1. Introduction
2. Infrastructure in the Roman Panhellenic sanctuaries
3. Panhellenic bureaucracy in the Roman period
4. Greek athletic festivals in the Roman imperial period

Figures 278

Table 321

Bibliography 322

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List of Figures

4.1. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia (Wikimedia Commons) 278
4.2. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Metroön. A = Domitian (?); B = Claudius; C = Titus; D
= Augustus as Zeus; E = Domitia (?); F = Agrippina the Younger; G = Julia Titi (?)
(Hitzl 1991) 278
4.3.Map of Elis and Olympia (Barrington Atlas 2000) 279
4.4. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Bronze plaque discovered in Southwest Building
(Kyrieleis, et.al. 2003) 280
4.5. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Bronze Bronze plaque discovered in Southwest
Building, drawing (Kyrieleis, et.al. 2003) 280
4.6.Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Bronze plaque discovered in Southwest Building,
transcription (Ebert 1997) 281
4.7.Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Southwest Building (after Sinn, et.al. 1994) 282
4.8.Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus, reconstruction (Bol
1984) 282
4.9. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus (Karen A. Laurence)
283
4.10. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Greek baths (Kunze and Schleif 1944) 283
4.11. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Kladeos Baths, plan (Kunze and Schleif 1944) 284
4.12. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Kladeos Baths, elevation 284
4.13. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Baths south of the Leonidaion with Leonidaion and
Southwest Building (Sinn, et.al. 1994) 285
4.14. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Baths south of the Leonidaion, plan (after Sinn,
et.al. 1994) 285
4.15. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Baths south of Leonidaion, heating system (Karen
A. Laurence) 286
4.16. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: So-called Villa of Nero (Mallwitz 1972) 286
4.17. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: East Baths (Kunze, et.al. 1994) 287
4.18. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Roman period Leonidaion (after Mallwitz 1972) 287
4.19. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia, Peristyle building north of prytaneion 288
4.20. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Inscription, Southwest Building (Kyrieleis 2003)
288
4.21. Sanctuary of Zeus, Olympia: Inscription, Southwest Building, reverse (Sinn,
et.al., 1995) 288
5.1. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi (Bommelaer 1991) 289
5.2. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Major excavated areas (Bommelaer 1991) 289
5.3. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi:Bouleuterion, *221 (Bommelaer 1991) 290
5.4. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Inscription honoring Plutarch (Karen A. Laurence) 290
5.5. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Domitian (FD III.4.120) (Karen A. Laurence) 291
5.6. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Stadium of Herodes Atticus (Aupert 1979) 291
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5.7. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: East baths (Bommelaer 1991) 292
5.8. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: So-called Roman Agora (Bommelaer 1991) 292
5.9. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Gymnasium (Jannoray 1953) 293
5.10. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Gymnasium, loutron and palaistra (Jannoray 1953)
293
5.11. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Gymnasium, drains (Karen A. Laurence) 294
5.12. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Gymnasium, distribution of graffiti in xystos (Queyrel
2001) 294
5.13. Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi: Gymnasium, inscription from xystos (Queyrel 2001)
294
6.1. Argos: Excavated area (Piérart and Touchais (1996) 295
6.2. Map of Argolid, Argos, Nemea (Barrington Atlas 2000) 296
6.3. Argos: Theater (Moretti 1993) 296
6.4. Argos, Theater (Karen A. Laurence) 297
6.5. Argos: Theater, Hellenistic period (Moretti 1993) 297
6.6. Argos: Theater, Roman period (Moretti 1993) 298
6.7. Argos: Odeion, mosaic (Ginouvès 1972) 298
6.8. Argos: Roman bath, original plan (Aupert 1985) 299
6.9. Argos: Roman bath (Aupert 1985) 299
6.10. Argos: Argora (Pariente and Touchais 1998) 300
6.11. Argos: Nymphaeum (Marchetti and Kolokotsas 1995) 300
6.12. Argos: Cistern (Marchetti and Kolokotsas 1995) 301
6.13. Argos: Nymphaeum, reconstruction (Marchetti and Kolokotsas 1995) 301
7.1. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia (Gebhard and Hemens 1992) 302
7.2. Corinth: Roman Forum (Williams and Bookidis 2003) 303
7.3. Map of Corinthia (Wikimedia Commons) 303
7.4. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Early Iron Age deposit on East Terrace (Gebhard
and Hemens 1992) 304
7.5. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia (Gebhard, Hemens, and Hayes 1998) 304
7.6. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Early Roman sanctuary (Gebhard, Hemens, and
Hayes 1998) 305
7.7. Corinthian coin issued between 43 and 42 B.C.E. by Corinthian duoviri P. Tadius
Chilo and C. Iulius Nikephoros. Reverse: Taming of Pegasus; Obverse: Seated Poseidon
(Amandry 1988) 305
7.8. Corinthian coin issued between 41 and 40 B.C.E. by Corinthian duoviri P. Aebultius
and C. Pinnius. Reverse: Pine wreath (Amandry 1988) 305
7.9. Corinth inscription 8.3.153 (Karen A. Laurence) 306
7.10. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Hadrianic period (Gebhard, Hemens, and Hayes
1998) 306
7.11. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Antonine period (Gebhard, Hemens, and Hayes
1998) 307
7.12. Corinth inscription 8.3.230 (Karen A. Laurence) 307
7.13. Corinth inscription 8.1.15 (Karen A. Laurence) 308
7.14. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Palaimonion lamps (Broneer 1977) 308
7.15. Reconstruction of Palaimonion temple (Broneer 1973) 309
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7.16.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Plan showing Early Stadium and Embankment Wall
(Gebhard and Hemens 1998) 309
7.17.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Roman Arch (Gregory and Mills 1984, figure 3)
310
7.18. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Greek bath (Gregory 1995) 310
7.19. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Roman Bath (Gregory 1995) 311
7.20. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Roman Bath, monochrome mosaic (Gregory 1995)
311
7.21. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: Roman waterworks (Broneer 1973) 312
7.22. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: East Field, trenches (1970 = red, 1971 = blue, 1972
= green) (Ellis, et.al. 2008) 312
7.23. Hierarchy of abstractions (Ellis, et.al., 2008) 313
7.24. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: East Field, phase 2 (courtesy of Eric Poehler) 313
7.25.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: East Field, phase 3 (courtesy of Eric Poehler) 314
7.26.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: East Field, phase 4 (courtesy of Eric Poehler) 314
7.27.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: East Field, phase 5 (courtesy of Eric Poehler) 315
7.28. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: relief of Asklepios, Hygeia, and Telesphoros
(Lattimore 1996) 315
7.29. Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: relief of Cybeles (Lattimore 1996) 316
7.30.Sanctuary of Poseidon, Isthmia: relief of Nymphs (Lattimore 1996) 316

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