<< Text Pages >> Temple of Apollo Ismenios - Ancient Temple in Greece in Central Greece
Submitted by bat400 on Monday, 03 July 2017 Page Views: 1830
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Temple of Apollo IsmeniosCountry: Greece
NOTE: This site is 0.471 km away from the location you searched for.
Region: Central Greece Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Thiva Nearest Village: Thiva
Latitude: 38.316000N Longitude: 23.322000E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
bat400 couldn't find on 30th May 2000 Despite having roamed around Thebes for two days, I did not find this site, so I cannot tell you what is actually visible. I thought I had found it, but much later realized that I was at a somewhat similar piece of ground on the opposite site of town.
The Temple of Apollo Ismenios and its sanctuary is a cult site with at least three temples built successively on the same spot from the Late Archaic (8th C. BC) through the Classical eras. It lies on a hillside near the Electran Gates. The last temple was aprx 21 x 30 m, with a 12x6 column arrangement. This last temple was probably built after 371 BC (date of the Battle Leuctra) and was described by Pausanias.
Pausanias describes the location of the temple and a cedar wood cult statue of Apollo. Later statues of Athena (by Skopas) and Hermes Pronaoi (by Pheidias) were also described as being in the foretemple.
Earlier temples as well as rites of the sanctuary were also written of by Herodotus (est. b.484 d.425 BC) and Pindar (est. b.517 d.438 BC.) These writers describe Theban youths of noble birth being chosen to serve as the temple priest for a year. A ceremony held every ninth year included an older male relative of this boy priest bringing a log or pole, decorated with laurel from sources across Boetia, to the temple. (Pindar brought in the pole when his son was the temple priest and wrote a poem for the occasion.) This rite was symbolic of the unity of Boetia with Thebes as the chief city.
Divination was conducted at the site by the examination of flames, smoke, and ash of the sacrifice.
It was customary to dedicate golden tripods at the temple; Herodotus describes tripods and other treasures dedicated by rulers and athletes at the temple.
The last incarnation of the temple was excavated by A. Keramopoullos in the 1910s (excavation ended in 1917.) In 2011-2013, Bucknell University and Greek state archaeologists carried out a geophysical survey and digital mapping, with some excavations. The intent (apparently successful, although I am hunting for a publication) was to accurately and consistently map the site, locate and record other features from 4th C. BC through the Byzantine eras, and to leave the foundations excavated in 1917 looking as they did at the close of that action.
Sources:
Exhibit in the Thebes Archaeological Museum,
Database listing, Department of Classics and Ancient History, Humanities Building, University of Warwick, Coventry
theoi.com, Listing for Cults of Apollo.
Sarantis Symeonoglou, The Topography of Thebes from the Bronze Age to Modern Times, Princeton University Press, Jul 14, 2014.
Bucknell University website, "Thebes Excavation Season Details".
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