Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks: Astrological Symbolism in Art, Architecture, and Landscape (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

183 Pages·1994·112.08 MB·English

by  Jean Richer

SACRED GEOGRAPHY
OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS
SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions
David Appelbaum, editor
'IT'(
SACRED
GEOGRAPHY
OF THE
ANCIENT
GREEKS
Astrological Symbolism
in Art, Architecture,
and Landscape f3F
1107Lf
. Tf?13
q If
Jean Richer J C;
Translated by Christine Rhone
Omphalos decorated with the "net."
(Copy from the Roman period, Museum of Delphi.)
'NOlANA UNIVERS/T'(
LIBRARIES
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRE~ OOMINGTON
'f
Contents
List of Maps xi
Foreword xxi
Translator's Preface xxvii
Published by Preface xxxi
State University of New York Press, Albany
Chapter 1. Theory of Alignments 1
©1994 State University of New York 1. Delphi: Apollo and Athena 1
2. The Meridian of Delphi: Tempe-Delphi-Sparta-Cape Taenarum 2
All rights reserved 3. Bassae, Tegea, Corinth 3
4. From Crete to Hyperborea 4
Printed in the United States of America 5. Leucas 5
6. The Four Temples of Hermione 6
No part of this book may be used or reproduced 7. The Oracle of Ptoon 8
in any manner whatsoever without written permission 8. The Apparently "Abnormal" Orientations of Temples: Bassae,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in Delos 9
critical articles and reviews.
Chapter 2. Interpretation of the Alignments. The Zodiacal Wheel
For information, address State University of New York
Centered on Delphi. A Text of Plato's 11
Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246
1. Cephallenia or Aries 12
2. "Cow-eyed" Hera. Olympia 13
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
3. Gemini and Sparta 13
Richer, Jean, 1915-
4. Cancer and the Moon 15
[Geographie sacree du monde grec. English]
5. Leo, the Solar Sign 16
Sacred geography of the ancient Greeks: astrological symbolism in
6. Athens, Delos, and the Sign of Virgo 17
art, architecture, and landscape / Jean Richer ; translated by
7. Libra, Harmonia, and Thebes 18
Christine Rhone.
8. Scorpio or the Eagle 19
p. cm. - (SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions)
9. The Land of the Centaurs: Chiron the Sagittarian 20
Includes bibliographical references and index.
10. Capricorn and Hyperborea 20
ISBN 0-7914-2023-X - ISBN 0-7914-2024-8 (pbk.)
11. Aquarius 21
1. Astrology/Greek. 2. Sacred space-Greece. 3. Shrines
12. Pisces. Cassiopeia 22
Greece. 4. Art and religion-Greece. 5. Gre ce-Religion.
13. A Text of Plato's 23
1. Title. II. Series. ~I A J
BF1674.R513 .1994 fVL ,\v-r1 I) ~
133.5'0938-dc·20 \f\YD V V 94-11960 Chapter 3. The System Centered on Delos 29
1. The Zodiacal Division 29
CIP
2. The Signs 30
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3. Delphi and Delos 36
4. Delphi and Sardis 36
v
vi Contents Contents vii
Chapter 4. An Anatolian System Centered on Sardis 39 Chapter 10. The Calendars of Heracles. Guardians of the Signs 97
1. The Omphalos of Sardis 39 1. Heracles and the Peloponnese: the System Centered on Phlius 98
2. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Sardis: the Signs 40 2. The Ancient Guardians of the Zodiac ("Hesiodic Guardians") 101
3. The Three Zodiacal Wheels of the Aegean 47 3. Heracles and Omphale 101
4. A More General System. The Directions of Space 103
Chapter 5. The Constellations, Return to Delphi. Demeter, Artemis, 5. Vestiges of an Earlier Zodiac in the Legend of Heracles; the Sign of
and Athena 53 the Boar 104
1. Ursa Major: Artemis, Brauron 53
6. Heracles and Apollo 105
2. Ursa Minor 56
3. Return to Delphi: the Agrenon 56
Chapter ll. The Astral Significance of Greek Myths and Heroes 109
4. Demeter-Gemeter 58
1. Myths and Rites of the Spring Equinox 109
5. Artemis 60
6. Brauron, Ephesus, and the Cave of the Bear 61 2. Castor and Pollux 112
7. Athena 61 3. Helen and Cancer 113
4. The Cancer-Capricorn Axis: Zeus and Typhon 113
Chapter 6. The World Axis and the Planetary Lines. Symbols 5. Orion and the Taurus-Scorpio Axis 113
of the Pole 63 6. Cadmus and Harmonia or Scorpio and Libra 114
1. The Gateways of the Solstices 63 7. Perseus, Solar Hero and Champion of Athena 116
2. The Descent of Souls: from Taenarum to Delphi 64 8. Bellerophon, Corinth, and Lycia 117
3. The Ascent of Souls: from Delphi to Olympus 65 9. The Heroic Deeds of Theseus 119
4. World Axes and Planetary Lines in the Systems of Delos 10. The Heroes of Sagittarius 123
and Sardis 66
5. The Nonzodiacal Constellations and Symbols of the Pole 69
Chapter 12. The Revelation of the Lion of Julis 125
6. The Boar, Symbol of the Pole; the Oath on the Boar 69
1. The Lion ofJulis 125
2. The Coins of Kea, the Dog and the Dog-days, the Bull 129
Chapter 7. The Zodiacal Division of Attica and the Mysteries:
3. The Alpheus or Taurus, the Elaphe 129
Agrae and Eleusis 73
4. Aristaeus 130
1. The Zodiacal Division 73
2. The Mysteries: Agrae and Eleusis 77 5. A Significant Rectangle 131
3. An Unusual Monument 78 6. A Rectangle Centered on Sardis 132
Chapter 8. Zodiacal Wheels as Keys to Decoding. The Gods Chapter 13. Fixed Symbols of the Signs, Directions, and Seasons.
and the Zodiac 79 The Loves of Zeus 133
1. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes 79 1. The Fixed Symbols of the Directions of Space: the Cycles of
2. Hermes and Athens: the Charites; Cephalus 81 F our Animals 133
3. The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 83 2. The Loves of Zeus 144
4. Hephaestus. Scorpio. The Journey of Sacrifices. The Sacrifices.
Sexual Magic 84
Chapter 14. Double Symbols. Syncretic Forms. Fighting Animals,
5. Poseidon, the Horse-god, and the Sign of Gemini 88
Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations. The Calendar of Xanthus 145
Chapter 9. The Cult of Zeus. Sardis, Delphi, and the Oasis of Siwa. 1. Double Symbols 145
A System Centered on Ammoneion 91 2. A Syncretic Form: the Hippalectryon 146
1. Sites of the Cult of Zeus 91 3. Other Syncretic Forms 148
2. The Sardis-Delphi-Ammoneion Triangle 92 4. Associations of Zodiacal Symbols 149
3. Myths and Monuments Confirming the Existence of this System 93 5. Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations 149
4. The Legend of Ammon and the Ritual of the Oracle 95 6. The Calendar of the AcropoliS of Xanthus 155
viii Contents Contents ix
Chapter 15. Shield Devices. The Commons Origins of Blazons and Chapter 20. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae. The Great Uranian
Monetary Symbols. The Complementarity of Opposites. Plaques from Goddess. The Inquiry Continues 245
Delphi. Study of Vases 159 1. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae 245
1. Shield Devices 159 2. The Great Goddess 250
2. The Complementarity of Opposites. The Lesson of the Vases 161 3. The Handles of Hydrias 253
3. Symbolic Scenes Showing Zodiacal Oppositions: Plaques Found 4. The Inquiry Continues 254
at Delphi 163
4. Zodiacal Aspects on Vases. Principles of Interpretation. Oppositions Abbreviations 259
and Squares 166 Notes 261
5. The Vases of Exekias 168 Index 301
6. Images of the Solstices and the Equinoxes on Vases 176
7. A Corinthian Aryballus of Astrological Design 177
8. Symbolic Formulas 182
Chapter 16. The Horoscopic Meaning of the Armlets of Shields 185
Chapter 17. Greek Temples: Sculpted Pediments and Zodiacal
Geography. The Structure of Sanctuaries 197
1. Corfu and Athens 198
2. Temples of the Delphic System 203
3. Delphi: the Pediments of the Temple of the Alcmaeonidae 205
4. Delos: the Pediments of the Temple of the Athenians 209
5. The Pediment of the Hydra at Athens 209
6. Temples in the Phlius System: Tegea and Calydon 210
7. Bassae 210
8. Olympia 212
9. The Temple of Hera at Samothrace: the Structure of the Sanctuary
and the Pediment; Victory and the Ship 216
Chapter 18. Greek Temples of Asia Minor. The Decor of the Temple
of Assos in the Troad 225
1. Didyma and Bassae 225
2. The Decor of the Temple of Assos in the Troad 227
3. Conclusions 234
4. Symbolic Formulas 236
Chapter 19. The Delphic Oracle and Colonization. Animal Guides.
The Trojan Horse 239
1. The Oracle and Significant Alignments 239
2. Animal Guides 241
3. The Trojan Horse 243
Maps
Map 1. The Great Alignments. xiii
Map 2. Foundation Oracles. Journeys of Sacrifice. Homeric Hymns. xiv
Map 3. Divine Cults. xv
Map 4. The Zodiacal Division of Attica. The Iphigenia Cycle and the Cult of
Artemis. xvi
Map 5. The System Centered on Ammoneion. xvii
Map 6. The Calendars of Heracles and the Heroic Deeds of Theseus. xviii
Map 7. The Lion of Julis and the Greek World. xix
Map 8. Sculpted Pediments and Zodiacal Geography. xx
Map 9. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delphi. 26
Map 10. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delos. 37
n.
Map The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Sardis. 48
Map 12. The Philius Zodiac: the Calendars of Heracles. 107
xi
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