Efrosyni Boutsikas
Biographic Data
| ID | 1035794 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Efrosyni Boutsikas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Efrosyni |
| FAMILY NAME | Boutsikas |
| SIGNATURE | BOUTSIKAS E |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Kent |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0226-7959 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
The Role of Darkness in Ancient Greek Religion and Religious Practice
Aiming at a better understanding of ways through which the ancient Greek religious experience was shaped, this chapter investigates the role and use of darkness in religious belief and practice. The orientation and certain architectural features of Greek temples, Dionysiac and Mystery cults, divination, rites of passage, magic, and other nocturnal rituals are examined here in an investigation of the interplay between light, darkness, and shadow a…
The Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition
In this book, Efrosyni Boutsikas examines ancient Greek religious performances, intricately orchestrated displays comprising topography, architecture, space, cult, and myth. These various elements were unified in a way that integrated the body within cosmic space and made the sacred extraordinary. Boutsikas also explores how natural light or the night-sky may have assisted in intensifying the experience of these rituals, and how they may have det…
Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition
The Contribution of ‘Total Environment’ Reconstructions in Interpreting Ancient Greek Experience of Ritual Spaces
The temple of Epikourean Apollo in Bassae has long been suspected to have been constructed with astronomical considerations, aimed at influencing ancient religious experience. The study presented here involves the use of Virtual Reality software to reconstruct the temple in its original position and orientation, combined with an accurate reconstruction of the sun’s position during the Classical period. The aim is to test the hypothesis of deliber…
Road to the Stars” Oxford XI
“Road to the Stars”. Oxford XI; European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 25; Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP) X Joint Conference, Santiago de Compostela 18th–22nd September 2017
Aitia , Astronomy and the Timing of the Arrhēphoria
This paper deals with the cult and myths of the daughters of the mythical king of Athens, Erechtheus, who lived on the Acropolis. The myth, preserved in Euripides’ tragedy Erechtheus , establishes the deceased daughters as goddesses who are owed cult by the Athenians. It further equates them with the Hyades, a prominent star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, which they form after their deaths. We examine here the possibility that this myth …
Astronomical Evidence for the Timing of the Panathenaia
For the first time, the role of the night sky in the performance of nocturnal festivals in ancient Greece is considered. This study presents a reconstruction of the Athenian night sky as it would have been visible from the Acropolis during the celebration of the Panathenaia. A link is suggested between the timing of the festival, held on the Acropolis, and the movement of the constellation of Draco, which would have been visible in the night sky …
Temples, Stars, and Ritual Landscapes: The Potential for Archaeoastronomy in Ancient Greece
The study of astronomical knowledge and observations in ancient cultures has enabled and enriched archaeological interpretations in contexts as diverse as pre-Columbian America, later prehistoric Europe, Egypt, Babylonia, and the Far East. The application of archaeoastronomy to the study of ancient Greek religion has been less successful and has been hampered by poor practice. Through a case study that investigates the astronomy in Alcman’s Parth…
Knowing when to consult the oracle at Delphi
The cities of Greece had their own calendars, so how did they all know when the god Apollo had returned from the northern realms and it was time to consult the oracle at Delphi? The authors show that the heliacal rising of the constellation Delphinus probably provided the annual marker, and that because of the mountains it appeared to rise a month later at Delphi than elsewhere, giving would-be visitors time to travel. The landscape of Delphi was…
Temples, Stars, and Ritual Landscapes: The Potential for Archaeoastronomy in Ancient Greece
The study of astronomical knowledge and observations in ancient cultures has enabled and enriched archaeological interpretations in contexts as diverse as pre-Columbian America, later prehistoric Europe, Egypt, Babylonia, and the Far East. The application of archaeoastronomy to the study of ancient Greek religion has been less successful and has been hampered by poor practice. Through a case study that investigates the astronomy in Alcman’s Parth…
Astronomical Evidence for the Timing of the Panathenaia
For the first time, the role of the night sky in the performance of nocturnal festivals in ancient Greece is considered. This study presents a reconstruction of the Athenian night sky as it would have been visible from the Acropolis during the celebration of the Panathenaia. A link is suggested between the timing of the festival, held on the Acropolis, and the movement of the constellation of Draco, which would have been visible in the night sky …
Knowing when to consult the oracle at Delphi
The cities of Greece had their own calendars, so how did they all know when the god Apollo had returned from the northern realms and it was time to consult the oracle at Delphi? The authors show that the heliacal rising of the constellation Delphinus probably provided the annual marker, and that because of the mountains it appeared to rise a month later at Delphi than elsewhere, giving would-be visitors time to travel. The landscape of Delphi was…
The Contribution of ‘Total Environment’ Reconstructions in Interpreting Ancient Greek Experience of Ritual Spaces
The temple of Epikourean Apollo in Bassae has long been suspected to have been constructed with astronomical considerations, aimed at influencing ancient religious experience. The study presented here involves the use of Virtual Reality software to reconstruct the temple in its original position and orientation, combined with an accurate reconstruction of the sun’s position during the Classical period. The aim is to test the hypothesis of deliber…
Knowing when to consult the oracle at Delphi
The cities of Greece had their own calendars, so how did they all know when the god Apollo had returned from the northern realms and it was time to consult the oracle at Delphi? The authors show that the heliacal rising of the constellation Delphinus probably provided the annual marker, and that because of the mountains it appeared to rise a month later at Delphi than elsewhere, giving would-be visitors time to travel. The landscape of Delphi was…
Astronomical Evidence for the Timing of the Panathenaia
For the first time, the role of the night sky in the performance of nocturnal festivals in ancient Greece is considered. This study presents a reconstruction of the Athenian night sky as it would have been visible from the Acropolis during the celebration of the Panathenaia. A link is suggested between the timing of the festival, held on the Acropolis, and the movement of the constellation of Draco, which would have been visible in the night sky …
Temples, Stars, and Ritual Landscapes: The Potential for Archaeoastronomy in Ancient Greece
The study of astronomical knowledge and observations in ancient cultures has enabled and enriched archaeological interpretations in contexts as diverse as pre-Columbian America, later prehistoric Europe, Egypt, Babylonia, and the Far East. The application of archaeoastronomy to the study of ancient Greek religion has been less successful and has been hampered by poor practice. Through a case study that investigates the astronomy in Alcman’s Parth…
Aitia , Astronomy and the Timing of the Arrhēphoria
This paper deals with the cult and myths of the daughters of the mythical king of Athens, Erechtheus, who lived on the Acropolis. The myth, preserved in Euripides’ tragedy Erechtheus , establishes the deceased daughters as goddesses who are owed cult by the Athenians. It further equates them with the Hyades, a prominent star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, which they form after their deaths. We examine here the possibility that this myth …
Road to the Stars” Oxford XI
“Road to the Stars”. Oxford XI; European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 25; Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP) X Joint Conference, Santiago de Compostela 18th–22nd September 2017
The Contribution of ‘Total Environment’ Reconstructions in Interpreting Ancient Greek Experience of Ritual Spaces
The temple of Epikourean Apollo in Bassae has long been suspected to have been constructed with astronomical considerations, aimed at influencing ancient religious experience. The study presented here involves the use of Virtual Reality software to reconstruct the temple in its original position and orientation, combined with an accurate reconstruction of the sun’s position during the Classical period. The aim is to test the hypothesis of deliber…
The Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition
In this book, Efrosyni Boutsikas examines ancient Greek religious performances, intricately orchestrated displays comprising topography, architecture, space, cult, and myth. These various elements were unified in a way that integrated the body within cosmic space and made the sacred extraordinary. Boutsikas also explores how natural light or the night-sky may have assisted in intensifying the experience of these rituals, and how they may have det…
Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition
The Role of Darkness in Ancient Greek Religion and Religious Practice
Aiming at a better understanding of ways through which the ancient Greek religious experience was shaped, this chapter investigates the role and use of darkness in religious belief and practice. The orientation and certain architectural features of Greek temples, Dionysiac and Mystery cults, divination, rites of passage, magic, and other nocturnal rituals are examined here in an investigation of the interplay between light, darkness, and shadow a…
Historical and Architectural Studies (8 works) · History (8 works) · Art (5 works) · Astronomy (5 works) · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology (4 works) · Ancient history (4 works) · Archaeology (4 works) · Geography (4 works) · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies (4 works) · Aesthetics (3 works)