Types of temenos in the Attic of the second half of the IV century BC based on lease agreements

Scientific article

doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-3-651-666

For citation

Bulycheva, Elena V. (2025). Types of temenos in the Attic of the second half of the IV century BC based on lease agreements, Herald of an Archivist, no. 3, pp. 651-666, doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-3-651-666

Bulycheva, Elena V., Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia

Types of temenos in the Attic of the second half of the IV century BC based on lease agreements

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the species of temenos in Attica in the second half of the IV century BC. In historiography, this problem has not been practically investigated. As a rule, the authors of scientific papers address the issue of the definition and characteristics of temenos, based on information obtained from ancient literature or archeology. In historiography, as a rule, the problem of the most ancient temenos of the epoch of the II – I millennium BC is studied or this phenomenon is considered in the period of the V – III centuries BC on the territory of the Northern Black Sea region. At the same time, the question of what the temenos of Attica (the region of Athens) were like in the second half of the fourth century BC remains completely unexplored. The study of this problem is relevant, since in order to get a complete picture of temenos, it is necessary to identify the features of this phenomenon at different stages of the history of Athens. In this regard, the purpose of the article is to present the various types of temenos in the Attic of the second half of the IV century BC and to come to a conclusion about the meaning of this concept. The chronological framework of the study was not chosen by chance, since the epigraphic material, which contains information on this issue, dates back to that time. As a rule, these are inscriptions about the lease of sacred lands, carved on stone steles, which in the second half of the IV century BC were installed on the territory of the temples of the polis. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time in historiography, the question of the essence of temenos is studied on the basis of these materials. Using a systematic approach and comparative analysis, the specifics of the temenos, their characteristic features and differences are investigated. An analysis of the epigraphic material showed that there were various types of temenos, which were cared for by leasing them to citizens of the Athenian polis. After conducting a detailed analysis of the sources, the author comes to certain conclusions. Judging by the information on the lease agreements of the sacred lands, the temenos represented the territories of the sanctuary, which differed depending on certain factors. In this regard, several types of temenoses can be distinguished. Firstly, these are land plots suitable for various agricultural activities. Secondly, the lands that are used for pastures and in some cases they contain outbuildings and workshops used for processing raw materials. In addition, it is possible to separate out the land plots that are used for construction work on them.

Keywords

Temenos, Attica, inscription, temple, land, territory, rent, source.

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About authors

Bulycheva Elena V., Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Russian State University for the Humanities, Department of General History, Associate Professor, Moscow, Russia, +7-963-765-52-05, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0009-0000-2117-7671

The article was received in the editorial office on 14.01.2025, recommended for publication on 20.06.2024.