Gods and Garments: Textiles in Greek Sanctuaries in the 7th to the 1st Centuries BC

Textiles comprise a vast and wide category of material culture and constitute a crucial part of the ancient economy. Yet, studies of classical antiquity still often leave out this important category of material culture, partly due to the textiles themselves being only rarely preserved in the archaeological record. This neglect is also prevalent in scholarship on ancient Greek religion and ritual, although it is one of the most vibrant and rapidly developing branches of classical scholarship. The aim of the present inquiry is, therefore, to introduce textiles into the study of ancient Greek religion and thereby illuminate the roles textiles played in the performance of Greek ritual and their wider consequences. Among the questions posed are how and where we can detect the use of textiles in the sanctuaries, and how they were used in rituals including their impact on the performance of these rituals and the people involved. Chapters center on three themes: first, the dedication of textiles and clothing accessories in Greek sanctuaries is investigated through a thorough examination of the temple inventories. Second, the use of textiles to dress ancient cult images is explored. The examination of Hellenistic and Roman copies of ancient cult images from Asia Minor as well as depictions of cult images in vase-painting in collocation with written sources illustrates the existence of this particular ritual custom in ancient Greece. Third, the existence of dress codes in the Greek sanctuaries is addressed through an investigation of the existence of particular attire for ritual personnel as well as visitors to the sanctuaries with the help of iconography and written sources. By merging the study of Greek religion and the study of textiles, the current study illustrates how textiles are, indeed, central materialisations of Greek cult, by reason of their capacity to accentuate and epitomize aspects of identity, spirituality, position in the religious system, by their forms as links between the maker, user, wearer, but also as key material agents in the performance of rituals and communication with the divine.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations

Abstract

Part I. Introduction

Part II. Dedications of textiles and accessories in greek sanctuaries

Chapter 1. Introduction: Textile dedications

Chapter 2. The temple inventories: Written evidence for the dedication of textiles and accessories

Chapter 3. Discussion: Textile dedications

Part III. Cult images and dress

Chapter 4. Introduction: Cult statues in ancient Greece

Chapter 5. Iconographic evidence for the dressing of cult statues

Chapter 6. Written evidence for the dressing of cult statues

Chapter 7. Discussion: Dressing of cult statues

Part IV Sacred dress codes: dressing the part in sanctuaries

Chapter 8. Introduction to the sources and methodological discussion

Chapter 9. Priestly garments

Chapter 10. Iconographic evidence for the dress of sanctuary visitors

Chapter 11. Clothing regulations in sanctuaries: The written sources

Chapter 12. Discussion: Sacred dress-codes in sanctuaries

Chapter 13. Conclusion

Appendix 1. The peplos of Athena at Athens

Appendix 2. Temple inventories. Greek texts and translations

Appendix 3. Clothing regulation. Greek texts and translations

Appendix 4. Dress-fasteners in sanctuaries

Bibliography