The Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition

The Cosmos in Ancient Greek Religious Experience: Sacred Space, Memory, and Cognition
ISBN-10
1108852629
ISBN-13
9781108852623
Category
Social Science
Pages
281
Language
English
Published
2020-10-29
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Author
Efrosyni Boutsikas

Description

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 determined ancient perceptions of the cosmos. The author's digital and virtual reconstructions of ancient skyscapes and religious structures during such occurrences unveil a deeper understanding of the importance of time and place in religious experience. Boutsikas shows how they shaped emotions, cosmological beliefs, and ritual memory of the participants. Her study revolutionises our understanding on ancient emotionality and cognitive experience, demonstrating how Greek religious spaces were vibrant arenas of a shared experience of the cosmos.

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