Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks: Astrological Symbolism in Art, Architecture, and Landscape (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

SACRED GEOGRAPHY OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS

SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions David Appelbaum, editor

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SACRED GEOGRAPHY OF THE

ANCIENT GREEKS Astrological Symbolism in Art, Architecture, and Landscape

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Jean Richer

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Translated by Christine Rhone

Omphalos decorated with the "net." (Copy from the Roman period, Museum of Delphi. )

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STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

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Contents

List of Maps xi Foreword xxi Translator's Preface Preface xxxi

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

Chapter 1. Theory of Alignments 1 1. Delphi: Apollo and Athena 1 2. The Meridian of Delphi: Tempe-Delphi-Sparta-Cape Taenarum 3. Bassae, Tegea, Corinth 3 4. From Crete to Hyperborea 4 5. Leucas 5 6. The Four Temples of Hermione 6 7. The Oracle of Ptoon 8 8. The Apparently "Abnormal" Orientations of Temples: Bassae, Delos 9

©1994 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address State University of New York Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Richer, Jean, 1915[Geographie sacree du monde grec. English] Sacred geography of the ancient Greeks: astrological symbolism in art, architecture, and landscape / Jean Richer ; translated by Christine Rhone. p. cm. - (SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-2023-X - ISBN 0-7914-2024-8 (pbk.) 1. Astrology/Greek. 2. Sacred space-Greece. 3. ShrinesGreece. 4. Art and religion-Greece. 5. Gre ce-Religion. 1. Title. II. Series. ~I A J BF1674.R513 . 1994 V \- I) ~ 133.5'0938-dc·20 V 94-11960

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Chapter 2. Interpretation of the Alignments. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delphi. A Text of Plato's 11 1. Cephallenia or Aries 12 2. "Cow-eyed" Hera. Olympia 13 3. Gemini and Sparta 13 4. Cancer and the Moon 15 5. Leo, the Solar Sign 16 6. Athens, Delos, and the Sign of Virgo 17 7. Libra, Harmonia, and Thebes 18 8. Scorpio or the Eagle 19 9. The Land of the Centaurs: Chiron the Sagittarian 20 10. Capricorn and Hyperborea 20 11. Aquarius 21 12. Pisces. Cassiopeia 22 23 13. A Text of Plato's Chapter 3. The System Centered on Delos 1. The Zodiacal Division 29 2. The Signs 30 3. Delphi and Delos 36 4. Delphi and Sardis 36

29

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Contents

Contents

Chapter 4. An Anatolian System Centered on Sardis 1. The Omphalos of Sardis 39 2. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Sardis: the Signs 3. The Three Zodiacal Wheels of the Aegean 47

39

40

Chapter 5. The Constellations, Return to Delphi. Demeter, Artemis, and Athena 53 1. Ursa Major: Artemis, Brauron 53 2. Ursa Minor 56 3. Return to Delphi: the Agrenon 56 4. Demeter-Gemeter 58 60 5. Artemis 6. Brauron, Ephesus, and the Cave of the Bear 61 7. Athena 61 Chapter 6. The World Axis and the Planetary Lines. Symbols of the Pole 63 1. The Gateways of the Solstices 63 2. The Descent of Souls: from Taenarum to Delphi 64 3. The Ascent of Souls: from Delphi to Olympus 65 4. World Axes and Planetary Lines in the Systems of Delos and Sardis 66 5. The Nonzodiacal Constellations and Symbols of the Pole 69 6. The Boar, Symbol of the Pole; the Oath on the Boar 69 Chapter 7. The Zodiacal Division of Attica and the Mysteries: Agrae and Eleusis 73 1. The Zodiacal Division 73 2. The Mysteries: Agrae and Eleusis 77 3. An Unusual Monument 78 Chapter 8. Zodiacal Wheels as Keys to Decoding. The Gods and the Zodiac 79 1. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes 79 2. Hermes and Athens: the Charites; Cephalus 81 3. The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 83 4. Hephaestus. Scorpio. The Journey of Sacrifices. The Sacrifices. Sexual Magic 84 88 5. Poseidon, the Horse-god, and the Sign of Gemini Chapter 9. The Cult of Zeus. Sardis, Delphi, and the Oasis of Siwa. A System Centered on Ammoneion 91 1. Sites of the Cult of Zeus 91 2. The Sardis-Delphi-Ammoneion Triangle 92 3. Myths and Monuments Confirming the Existence of this System 93 4. The Legend of Ammon and the Ritual of the Oracle 95

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97 Chapter 10. The Calendars of Heracles. Guardians of the Signs 98 1. Heracles and the Peloponnese: the System Centered on Phlius 101 2. The Ancient Guardians of the Zodiac ("Hesiodic Guardians") 3. Heracles and Omphale 101 4. A More General System . The Directions of Space 103 5. Vestiges of an Earlier Zodiac in the Legend of Heracles; the Sign of the Boar 104 6. Heracles and Apollo 105 Chapter ll. The Astral Significance of Greek Myths and Heroes 1. Myths and Rites of the Spring Equinox 109 2. Castor and Pollux 112 3. Helen and Cancer 113 4. The Cancer-Capricorn Axis: Zeus and Typhon 113 113 5. Orion and the Taurus-Scorpio Axis 6. Cadmus and Harmonia or Scorpio and Libra 114 7. Perseus, Solar Hero and Champion of Athena 116 8. Bellerophon, Corinth, and Lycia 117 9. The Heroic Deeds of Theseus 119 10. The Heroes of Sagittarius 123 Chapter 12. The Revelation of the Lion of Julis 125 1. The Lion ofJulis 125 2. The Coins of Kea, the Dog and the Dog-days, the Bull 3. The Alpheus or Taurus, the Elaphe 129 4. Aristaeus 130 5. A Significant Rectangle 131 132 6. A Rectangle Centered on Sardis

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129

Chapter 13. Fixed Symbols of the Signs, Directions, and Seasons. The Loves of Zeus 133 1. The Fixed Symbols of the Directions of Space: the Cycles of F our Animals 133 2. The Loves of Zeus 144 Chapter 14. Double Symbols. Syncretic Forms. Fighting Animals, Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations. The Calendar of Xanthus 1. Double Symbols 145 2. A Syncretic Form: the Hippalectryon 146 3. Other Syncretic Forms 148 4. Associations of Zodiacal Symbols 149 5. Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations 149 6. The Calendar of the AcropoliS of Xanthus 155

145

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Contents

Contents

Chapter 15. Shield Devices. The Commons Origins of Blazons and Monetary Symbols. The Complementarity of Opposites. Plaques from Delphi. Study of Vases 159 1. Shield Devices 159 2. The Complementarity of Opposites. The Lesson of the Vases 161 3. Symbolic Scenes Showing Zodiacal Oppositions: Plaques Found at Delphi 163 4. Zodiacal Aspects on Vases. Principles of Interpretation. Oppositions and Squares 166 168 5. The Vases of Exekias 6. Images of the Solstices and the Equinoxes on Vases 176 7. A Corinthian Aryballus of Astrological Design 177 8. Symbolic Formulas 182 Chapter 16. The Horoscopic Meaning of the Armlets of Shields

185

Chapter 17. Greek Temples: Sculpted Pediments and Zodiacal 197 Geography. The Structure of Sanctuaries 1. Corfu and Athens 198 2. Temples of the Delphic System 203 3. Delphi: the Pediments of the Temple of the Alcmaeonidae 205 4. Delos: the Pediments of the Temple of the Athenians 209 5. The Pediment of the Hydra at Athens 209 6. Temples in the Phlius System: Tegea and Calydon 210 7. Bassae 210 8. Olympia 212 9. The Temple of Hera at Samothrace: the Structure of the Sanctuary and the Pediment; Victory and the Ship 216 Chapter 18. Greek Temples of Asia Minor. The Decor of the Temple of Assos in the Troad 225 1. Didyma and Bassae 225 2. The Decor of the Temple of Assos in the Troad 227 3. Conclusions 234 4. Symbolic Formulas 236 Chapter 19. The Delphic Oracle and Colonization. Animal Guides. The Trojan Horse 239 1. The Oracle and Significant Alignments 239 2. Animal Guides 241 243 3. The Trojan Horse

Chapter 20. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae. The Great Uranian Goddess. The Inquiry Continues 245 1. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae 245 2. The Great Goddess 250 3. The Handles of Hydrias 253 4. The Inquiry Continues 254 Abbreviations Notes 261 Index 301

259

ix

Maps

Map 1. The Great Alignments.

xiii

Map 2. Foundation Oracles. Journeys of Sacrifice. Homeric Hymns. Map 3. Divine Cults.

xiv

xv

Map 4. The Zodiacal Division of Attica. The Iphigenia Cycle and the Cult of Artemis. xvi Map 5. The System Centered on Ammoneion.

xvii

Map 6. The Calendars of Heracles and the Heroic Deeds of Theseus. Map 7. The Lion of Julis and the Greek World.

xix

Map 8. Sculpted Pediments and Zodiacal Geography.

xx

Map 9. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delphi.

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Map 10. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delos.

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The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Sardis.

xviii

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Map 12. The Philius Zodiac: the Calendars of Heracles.

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9. For comparisons see R. D . Barnett's book The Nimrud Ivories, 1935, and the article by the same author, J.H.S ., LXVIII, 1948. 10. Corinthian aryballus from the Boston Museum. H. C. Payne, op. cit., PI. 20, fig. 1; Johansen, Les Vases Sicyoniens, PI. 27; Fairbanks, Catalogue of the Boston Museum, 397; Joseph Clark Hoppin, AJA. IV, 1900, PI. 5. 11. This character often appears on Corinthian vases, associated with the lion, the sphinx, the boar, etc. He does not seem to have been identified. He appears on the fragmentary cover of a Corinthian pyxis recently found at Brauron (B.C. H ., 1963, "Chronique des fouilles en 1962," by C. Daux, fig. 9, p. 705) . Also see the man-eagle placed after a lion, PI. II, 228, in Perachora II, Oxford, 1962, by Thomas J. Dunbabin. He is frequently portrayed on the Corinthian vases in the Museum of Athens. As previously mentioned (p. 114), it is sometimes difficult to distinguish Orion from Ophion, but the presence of the serpent allows the second character to be identified. 12. Aryballus (Theban according to Johansen), Johansen, op. cit., PI. 30, 2; Payne, Necrocorinthia, PI. 94,5; A.J.A., IV, 1900, PI. 4 with study by J. C. Hoppin. The symbolic image of a hare followed by a dog already appears on Mycenaean vases; for example, on a vase in the Museum of Sparta, from the sanctuary of Zeus-Agamemnon and Alexandra-Cassandra at Amyclae. 13. Johansen, Les Vases Sicyoniens, PI. 29. 14. Ibid. , PI. 34. One of the warriors has a bull on his shield. The lion is fighting the seagull. The bearded head may be Zeus. The whole seems to commemorate the substitution of a calendar of five seasons by a division of the year into four. 15. H . C. Payne, Necrocorinthia, PI. 17; 2,3, 10 and PI. 22; 8. 16. H. C. Payne, Protokorinthische, etc., PI. 31, fig. 2 (Oinochoe of New York), and fig. 5 (Olpe de Caere, Cotha). Very numerous examples in the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum. (See the volumes showing the vases in the Louvre, for example), many specimens in the Museum of Athens. 17. See, for example, the pyxis cover, 1113, PI. 47 of Perachora II of Dunbabin: bull, lion, goose, lioness (or panther). 18. Jane E. Harrison, Themis, pp. 280-81. I am reproducing the drawing according to Ernst Pfuhl, Malerei und Zeichnung der Greichen, vol. 3, PI. 77, 288. It also appears, with regard to the sign of the Eagle, that the Creeks considered the Troad, at least from the symbolic point of view, to be an integral part of their territory. This will be confirmed by a study of the pediments. (See chap. 17 and map 8.) 19. The indications given here could serve as a commentary on the passage in the Iliad (Chant XVII, 313ff.), sometimes considered as an interpolation, in which Zeus enumerates his loves.

Notes to Chapter 14

290

Notes to Chapter 14 CHAPfER14

1. Anna Roes, Greek Geometric Art, Its Symbolism and Its Origin, Oxford, 1933. Various objects described by Roes are on view at the British Museum. This is the case for the Iranian bronze 119445 (seated woman between two horse's heads) and several small Greek bronzes: two goat's heads, 161 and 170; two bull's heads, 168 and 169. Also bronze 4474 from the Museum of Delphi (two ram's heads). 2. On the hippalectryon, see the article by P. Perdrizet, "L'Hippalectryon, contribution al' etude de I'ionisme," RE.A., 1904, pp. 7ff., and the one by Dietrich von Bothmer, "The Tawny Hippalektryon," The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Jan. 1953, pp. 132-35. 3. According to Perdrizet, the Ionian hippalectryon is riderless, while the one from Attica always has a rider. The symbolism is obviously the same. The rider must be identified with the solar hero, Perseus or Bellerophon. 4. RE.A., 1904, PI. 1, fig. 1. 5. Perdrizet, op. cit., pp. 26-27. See also the Nicosthenes vase, from Caere, where appear on one side of the neck a helmeted warrior riding a hippalectryon and on the other an ephebus riding a hipplectryon, B.C.H., XVII, 1893, p. 437 (Amphora F. 100 in the Louvre). On amphora F. 104 in the Louvre, also Signed by Nicothenes, one sees: A. B. C. D. E.

On the neck Nike or Iris. Same subject, the goddess flying to the right. Ephebus on a hippalectryon between two confronted sirens. Same subject. The thiasus of Bacchus.

If, as I believe, Victory is in reality a siren (see another example, p. 176), all these figures describe the Leo-Aquarius axis and espeCially the northwest quarter. 6. Perdrizet, ibid., PI. 1,5, and fig. 6, p. 26; Hermann Thiersch, 'Tyrrhenische" Amphoren, 1899, no. 27, p. 157. Also see von Bothmer, op. cit., p. 135. 7. Lamer, "Hippalektryon," Real Encycl. of Paulys-Wissowa, col. 1654. According to B.M.C., vol. 12, PI. XVIII. 8. Examples mentioned in Dietrich von Bothmer's article, p. 134. Also see in the cited book by Thiersch, the description of vase no. 15, in Berlin (Berlin, 1707), on which appear the Calydonian hunt, the panther, the alectryon panther, the alectryon siren. All these symbols describe the northwest region and the solstitial axis. 9. Examples mentioned by Perdrizet, who refers to Furtwangler, Ant. Gemmen (PI. 65, 1), donkey-headed rooster; to Micali, Storia (117, 13), lionheaded rooster; and also to Karo, Strena Helbigiana, p. 154 (hare-headed bird,

291

p. 147; bird with head of male goat or dog; bird-griffin with rooster's head). Many more examples could be given. What I am indicating here can facilitate the study of Greco-Egyptian gems. 10. Bronze from the Louvre, Chantre collection, Inv. A a 9714, drawing in Roes, op. cit., fig. 96. Photo published with the kind permission of M. A. Parrot. In the exhibition of Iranian art (Seven Thousand Years of Iranian Art) at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco (Summer 1965), I noticed a similar figure-an eagle perched on the back of a kid-