Forms and Legal Aspects of Religious Associations in Ancient Athens

Arnaoutoglou, Ilias N (1993) Forms and Legal Aspects of Religious Associations in Ancient Athens. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Religious associations have been the subject of exhaustive treatment during the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. The present thesis does not aim to challenge their detailed examination, but rather to reassess the validity of their arguments and conclusions concerning Athenian cult associations, in the light of new pieces of evidence. The Introduction sets the chronological and methodological limits of the thesis. Chapters 1 to 4 discuss the available literary and epigraphical evidence concerning associations of orhogammaepsilononuepsilons, of heroes and goddesses, thetaiotaalphasigmaotaualphaiota and epsilonrhoalphanuiotasigmataualphaiota respectively as well as concommitant matters such as impiety and the relation between enktesis and approval of a cult. Chapter 5 is an attempt to criticise the view that the concept of juristic personality is a proper methodological tool for the comprehension of the associative life and to test a new approach based on the Aristotelian paradigm. In Chapter 6 the social functions of the cult associations are examined, through the application of hermeneutic models like "euergetism", "rituals of conviviality", patronage etc. In the Conclusions I summarise the principal results of the examination and an attempt is made to distinguish between the different religious associations. Finally, three different catalogues are provided, which compile and classify the epigraphical material on Athenian cult associations.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: D M MacDowell
• Keywords: Classical studies
• Date of Award: 1993
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1993-75602
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 19:20
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 19:20
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/75602