The material evidence left from the cult of Sabazios is meagre, apart from sculpted bronze hands dating to the Roman Empire. The hand is held in a certain pose, the so-called benedictio Latina gesture, and the hand was often covered with depictions of various objects and symbols. The bronze hands were probably attached to staffs and carried around in processions. This practice most likely spread via the channels of the Roman army during the Early Imperial period, but the gesture existed much earlier. The gesture is found on Attic black- and red-figured pottery, and is frequently associated with Hermes in his role as instructor and Psychopompos. From the beginning of the Hellenistic period the gesture was mainly used as an indication of speech, and for knowledge transmitted through speech. There are several examples of how the gesture was used to indicate the knowledge revealed through the initiations of mystery cults. Hermes is closely associated with Sabazios and is represented on the bronze hands, probably because of his role as instructor and Psychopompos; i.e. the position played by the mystagogue in the Sabazian mysteries. The gesture of the hands simply denoted the knowledge acquired through the initiation. The symbols on the hands are often associated with the Underworld, and it is suggested that knowledge acquired in the Sabazian mysteries dealt with life after death and the Underworld.
{"title":"The hand gesture and symbols of Sabazios","authors":"S. Berndt","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-11-08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-11-08","url":null,"abstract":"The material evidence left from the cult of Sabazios is meagre, apart from sculpted bronze hands dating to the Roman Empire. The hand is held in a certain pose, the so-called benedictio Latina gesture, and the hand was often covered with depictions of various objects and symbols. The bronze hands were probably attached to staffs and carried around in processions. This practice most likely spread via the channels of the Roman army during the Early Imperial period, but the gesture existed much earlier. The gesture is found on Attic black- and red-figured pottery, and is frequently associated with Hermes in his role as instructor and Psychopompos. From the beginning of the Hellenistic period the gesture was mainly used as an indication of speech, and for knowledge transmitted through speech. There are several examples of how the gesture was used to indicate the knowledge revealed through the initiations of mystery cults. Hermes is closely associated with Sabazios and is represented on the bronze hands, probably because of his role as instructor and Psychopompos; i.e. the position played by the mystagogue in the Sabazian mysteries. The gesture of the hands simply denoted the knowledge acquired through the initiation. The symbols on the hands are often associated with the Underworld, and it is suggested that knowledge acquired in the Sabazian mysteries dealt with life after death and the Underworld.","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90214860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Termini. Cornerstone of modern Rome, by A Weststeijn & F. Whitling (book review)","authors":"P. Pakkanen","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-11-11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-11-11","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72758580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Die Felsgräber der Könige von Pontos in Amasya, by R. Fleischer (book review)","authors":"Paavo Roos","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-11-13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-11-13","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89960604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Two Early Helladic II terracotta rollers from the Third Terrace at Asine are presented. The objects, used to impress relief decoration on pithoi and hearths, are unique in that no other examples are known from the Early Bronze Age Aegean. Their origin is discussed based on chemical characterization and their depositional contexts are reviewed from an archaeological perspective. Although there are no known impressions from these rollers on pithoi and hearths at Asine, it is shown that their owners surrounded themselves with different objects featuring similar glyptic impressions. Two such impressions find identical parallels at Tiryns and the combined evidence strongly suggest that Asine was the home for one or several potters who produced Early Helladic impressed hearths and pithoi.
{"title":"Two Early Helladic II terracotta rollers from Asine and their glyptic context","authors":"Michael Lindblom, G. Nordquist, H. Mommsen","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-11-04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-11-04","url":null,"abstract":"Two Early Helladic II terracotta rollers from the Third Terrace at Asine are presented. The objects, used to impress relief decoration on pithoi and hearths, are unique in that no other examples are known from the Early Bronze Age Aegean. Their origin is discussed based on chemical characterization and their depositional contexts are reviewed from an archaeological perspective. Although there are no known impressions from these rollers on pithoi and hearths at Asine, it is shown that their owners surrounded themselves with different objects featuring similar glyptic impressions. Two such impressions find identical parallels at Tiryns and the combined evidence strongly suggest that Asine was the home for one or several potters who produced Early Helladic impressed hearths and pithoi.","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81378170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article examines 4th-century BC Doric architecture, dealing with the cella position in relation to the design of the peristasis. Divergences from the theoretical principles are recorded and the reasons dictating the aesthetics as well the traditions are examined. A categorization of Doric peripteral temples is put forward and five peripteral temples are discussed in detail, with new drawings offered; the temple on the Leprean acropolis, the Temple of Asclepios at Gortyn, the Temple of Apollo Ismenios at Thebes, the Temple of Apollo at Mount Ptoion, and the so-called Temple of Hippolytos at Troizen. It is inferred that the previously reconstructed Ionic axial cohesion in the temples under examination has taken into account neither the principles of the Doric order, nor the correct sizes of the elements. An argued evaluation of the physical evidence is necessary for reconstructing the implemented ground-plans. By taking the above into consideration and by re-examining the existing foundations, it is possible to reconstruct features such as the lower diameter of the pronaos columns, the width of the antae, the thickness of the cella and pronaos walls, the cella width and the angular contraction. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the rules to which the 4th century BC peripteral temples tend to conform and to investigate the reasons that led to their formation. It is proposed that reconstructing the roofing systems is the key to a cohesive system of correspondence.
{"title":"Cella alignment and 4th century BC Doric peripteral temple architecture in Mainland Greece","authors":"Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos, M. Petrakis","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-11-09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-11-09","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines 4th-century BC Doric architecture, dealing with the cella position in relation to the design of the peristasis. Divergences from the theoretical principles are recorded and the reasons dictating the aesthetics as well the traditions are examined. A categorization of Doric peripteral temples is put forward and five peripteral temples are discussed in detail, with new drawings offered; the temple on the Leprean acropolis, the Temple of Asclepios at Gortyn, the Temple of Apollo Ismenios at Thebes, the Temple of Apollo at Mount Ptoion, and the so-called Temple of Hippolytos at Troizen. It is inferred that the previously reconstructed Ionic axial cohesion in the temples under examination has taken into account neither the principles of the Doric order, nor the correct sizes of the elements. An argued evaluation of the physical evidence is necessary for reconstructing the implemented ground-plans. By taking the above into consideration and by re-examining the existing foundations, it is possible to reconstruct features such as the lower diameter of the pronaos columns, the width of the antae, the thickness of the cella and pronaos walls, the cella width and the angular contraction. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the rules to which the 4th century BC peripteral temples tend to conform and to investigate the reasons that led to their formation. It is proposed that reconstructing the roofing systems is the key to a cohesive system of correspondence.","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78866314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Fischer, T. Bürge, Magdalena Ausiayevich, Bebelyn Placiente Robedizo, Victor Barrera Alarcón, L. Recht, D. Kofel
During the eighth field season at the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke, excavations in City Quarter 1 (CQ1) exposed massive industrial and domestic structures belonging to three phases of occupation (Strata 3–1) dating to the 13th and 12th centuries BC (LC IIC–IIIA). Georadar survey, penetrating to a maximum depth of approximately 1 m, guided the excavation of walls of Strata 1–2, both of which were destroyed by conflagration. Excavations 1.5–2 m below the surface and also below the maximum penetration depth of the radar revealed a heretofore buried phase of occupation with substantial architectural units. For the first time, massive Stratum 3 structures with a markedly different building technique were exposed. Copper smelting installations, much ash and slag, and storage facilities also belong to this phase of occupation. Additional excavations guided by results from a magnetometer survey were carried out in Area A, roughly 600 m to the south-east of CQ1. Numerous circular anomalies were excavated. These were identified as Late Cypriot wells, rich offering pits, and a tomb from the same period. In addition to numerous intact locally produced vessels and other finds, the tomb contained a complete Late Minoan II/IIIA piriform jar with bird motifs which have exact parallels from Knossos. Other finds from this tomb include a diadem of leaf gold, amethyst jewellery, and nine sphendonoid shaped balance weights of haematite together with a hornblende whetstone. The features from Area A cover a period from the 16th to the 13th centuries BC (LC IB–IIC).
{"title":"The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2017: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results","authors":"P. Fischer, T. Bürge, Magdalena Ausiayevich, Bebelyn Placiente Robedizo, Victor Barrera Alarcón, L. Recht, D. Kofel","doi":"10.30549/OPATHROM-10-03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30549/OPATHROM-10-03","url":null,"abstract":"During the eighth field season at the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke, excavations in City Quarter 1 (CQ1) exposed massive industrial and domestic structures belonging to three phases of occupation (Strata 3–1) dating to the 13th and 12th centuries BC (LC IIC–IIIA). Georadar survey, penetrating to a maximum depth of approximately 1 m, guided the excavation of walls of Strata 1–2, both of which were destroyed by conflagration. Excavations 1.5–2 m below the surface and also below the maximum penetration depth of the radar revealed a heretofore buried phase of occupation with substantial architectural units. For the first time, massive Stratum 3 structures with a markedly different building technique were exposed. Copper smelting installations, much ash and slag, and storage facilities also belong to this phase of occupation.\u0000Additional excavations guided by results from a magnetometer survey were carried out in Area A, roughly 600 m to the south-east of CQ1. Numerous circular anomalies were excavated. These were identified as Late Cypriot wells, rich offering pits, and a tomb from the same period. In addition to numerous intact locally produced vessels and other finds, the tomb contained a complete Late Minoan II/IIIA piriform jar with bird motifs which have exact parallels from Knossos. Other finds from this tomb include a diadem of leaf gold, amethyst jewellery, and nine sphendonoid shaped balance weights of haematite together with a hornblende whetstone. The features from Area A cover a period from the 16th to the 13th centuries BC (LC IB–IIC).","PeriodicalId":51997,"journal":{"name":"Opuscula-Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73146750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}