Ancient World Magazine Podcast

Sanctuaries in ancient Greece

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Episode notes

Joshua Hall, Matthew Lloyd, and Josho Brouwers talk about sanctuaries in ancient Greece. We define what a "sanctuary" is and what kind of sacred places there in the ancient Greek world. Sanctuaries are the focal point for religion, so we naturally also talk about priests and priestesses, festivals, and sacrifices. Greek plays and athletic competitions were usually organized in honour of the gods. We also talk about the main elements of the typical sanctuary and pay particular attention to the altar, which was also a place of refuge for those fearing for their lives.