27:
54:
47:
421:. The establishment of heroic cult was often the means to resolve a crisis, often related to someone who was killed violently or unjustly. On each occasion the hero becomes the epicenter of worship, weaving a social bond for the survival of the community. Being closer than gods to mankind hero or heroine is important for the support of community members in different aspects of everyday life.
256:
378:. Since eighth century BC, there is a small and scattered group of sanctuaries, associated with epic or mythical heroes and identified by inscribed dedications, in most cases after the foundation of worship. Such heroes are Helen and Menelaus to Sparta,
554:. The above-mentioned, in combination with the building design, led Hector Catling to the view that these palaces were administrative centers and ancestors of large megaroid palaces of
617:
dated to late 13th and 12th century BCE. Since some votive offerings have been associated with the remains of the
Mycenaean construction, R. Catling expressed the view that they were
581:). This inscription confirms Ross's view that the building was heroon dedicated to Menelaus and Helen. A second dedication to Helen has been found in the same trench, a bronze
211:. The geographical structure of this site includes a hill complex (Northern hill, Menelaion, Profitis Ilias and Aetos). The archaic name of the place is mentioned as Therapne (
662:, either in landfills or preserved in late structure. This Ancient Menelaion survived until the fifth century BC when it was demolished to be replaced with a structure, whose
550:
has been found in disordered strata, associated with pottery of LH IIIB. On the hill Eagle, south of the ridge of
Menelaion, pottery of LH IIB2 has been revealed in a surface
593:
dated from the early 5th century BCE, upon which there was a bronze statuette with the inscription «ΕΥΘΥΚΡΕΝΕΣ ΑΝΕΘΕΚΕ ΤΟΪ ΜΕΝΕΛΑΪ», (Eythycrenes dedicated to
Menelaus).
1120:
393:
The heroes of myth and epic performed heroic acts, have founders of cities and sanctuaries, inventors and ancestors of large families. Most of these heroes are male
585:
dated to 570 BCE, instrument of unknown use, with the inscription "ΕΛΕΝΙΙ". The next year
Catling discovered the first dedication tο Menelaus, in the bottom of a
266:
234:, mild climate and low hills which protect the area, are forming the general geographical and geological context of the archaeological site which revealed few
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645:
The first phase, probably late 8th or early 7th century BC, is not linked to a specific architectural edifice, but scattered limestone blocks. Blocks'
991:
343:, belong to a large group of heroes and heroines worshiped throughout Greece. These heroes, heroines and their cults have already been studied in
277:
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99:
1092:
1006:
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401:, but the legend and the epic is full of female figures, as is the case in Menelaion. The heroines often usually work in
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of the archaeological site. The excavation revealed a Late
Mycenaean structure built with raw brick coated with painted
915:
514:
of
Menelaos, based on structural changes of the building that Dawkins revealed which divided in three distinct phases:
295:
409:, family, or spouse. Perhaps a curious group of heroes are those who are children or even babies, as in the case of
528:
Mansion 2 - was built about 10 meters further from
Mansion 1, with a new orientation and reported abandoned during
510:. Hector Catling tried to form a chronological sequence between the remnants of the Mycenaean period and the late
46:
946:
Dawkins, R. (1910). "I. Laconia: -I.- Excavations at Sparta, 1910, the
Mycenaean City near the Menelaion".
495:
521:
1 - Original building facing south assembling three parallel units. The central unit is considered a
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487:
475:
270:
that states a
Knowledge editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.
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Wace, A. J. B.; et al. (1909). "I Laconia: -I.-Excavations at Sparta, 1909, the
Menelaion".
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Richard Catling (Hector Catling's son) continued excavations in Therapne during the 1980s, on a
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of the south side of Menelaion hill. His site consisted of disturbed strata filled with sub-
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depends on their correlation with strata in which relevant votive offerings were uncovered.
344:
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on the eastern peak of the ridge of Menelaeion hill. Further excavations followed, led by
8:
976:
Catling, H. W., Cavanagh, C. (1976). "Two Inscribed Bronzes from the Menelaion, Sparta".
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After 60 years the British School returned to the site and excavations were conducted by
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188:
466:. Ross excavated the area in 1834, revealing lead votive figurines of the Laconic type.
26:
179:
658:
structure has been built made of limestone. Building materials have been found out of
613:
votive offerings. In the same place have been discovered the walls and the floor of a
961:
Catling, H. (1992). "Sparta: A Mycenaean Palace and a Shrine to Menelaus and Helen".
911:
885:
863:
830:
675:, phase is connected with the 5th century BC and stratigraphy indicates that the new
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847:. Berkeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press. pp. 94–199.
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context, as part of a heroic pair, or as virgins who give their lives to save their
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in the hills around the Menelaion. In North Hill, north of the ridge of Menelaion,
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During the second phase, probably in the sixth century BC it seems that a small
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with the meaning used in subsequent periods, or refer to heroic cult directly.
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Cavanagh, W.; Laxton (1984). "Lead Figures from the Menelaion and Seriation".
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was built upon the ancient edifice, although some researchers believe that
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Catling, H. W. (1977). "Excavations at the Menelaion, Sparta, 1973-1976".
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891:. Blackwell companions to the ancient world. Oxford: Blackwell. p.
525:. It was built about 1450 BCE and soon destroyed by possible earthquake.
862:. Urbana & Chicago: University of Illinois Press. pp. 95–134.
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was actually recognized as a warehouse during the excavations of 1909.
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An Archaeology of Ancestors: Tomb Cult and Hero Cult in Early Greece
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Ekroth, Gunnel (2007). "Heroes and Hero-Cults". In D. Ogden (ed.).
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498:, then director of the British School of Athens, in the year 1910.
454:. At the end of the 7th and 6th centuries BCE, a temple built with
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On the hill of Menelaion during the 8th century BCE the eponymous
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indicates that heroic cult existed in some form at the end of the
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Catling, H. (1977). "Excavations at the Menelaion, 1976-1977".
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Mansion 3 - was inhabited at the end of Late Helladic (LHIIIA1)
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Dawkins, R. M. (1910). "Mycenaean settlement at Menelaion".
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Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Lakonia
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personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
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Catling, R. (1986). "Excavations at the Menelaion: 1985".
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findings on the Northern hill and major settlement of the
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The Returns of Odysseus: Colonization and Ethnicity
470:John Percival Droop, M. S. Thompson, and Alan Wace
1121:6th-century BC religious buildings and structures
1004:See form of the harpax and other inscriptions on
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355:of a particular period of worshipping heroes in
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633:As monument, Menelaion presents different
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910:. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 155.
579:Deinis offered to Helen, wife of Menelaus
539:Excavations also revealed remains of the
296:Learn how and when to remove this message
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860:Baby and Child Heroes in Ancient Greece
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577:inscription, «ΔΕΙΝΙΣ ΑΝΕΘΕΕ ΜΕΝΕΛΑΪ» (
569:Catling's excavation revealed a bronze
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1075:Annual of the British School at Athens
948:Annual of the British School at Athens
933:Annual of the British School at Athens
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458:was erected in place. The Menelaeion
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382:in Cave of Loizos at beach Polis to
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339:exercises. Helen, and her husband
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906:Antonaccio, Carla Maria (1994).
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16:Archaeological site in Greece
496:Richard MacGillivray Dawkins
413:infant, who was killed by a
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887:Companion to Greek Religion
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708:, 5.14, 21 ff; Pausanias,
230:deposits of the valley of
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180:Greek Ministry of Culture
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372:Archaeological evidence
154:hero shrine on site of
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660:archaeological context
482:, M. S. Thompson, and
312:appeared initially in
308:It is considered that
276:by rewriting it in an
115:37.06500°N 22.453000°E
710:Description of Greece
486:the first systematic
1095:. Warwick University
1009:. Warwick University
858:Pache, C.O. (2004).
366:do not use the term
345:classical archeology
963:Current Archaeology
843:Malkin, I. (1998).
744:,frag. 5, frag. 6;
742:Alcaeus of Mytilene
625:of the Bronze Age.
589:, a blue limestone
480:John Percival Droop
189:archaeological site
120:37.06500; 22.453000
111: /
61:Shown within Greece
31:The Menelaion with
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768:, 1.3; 3.113-116.
278:encyclopedic style
265:is written like a
242:in the Menelaion.
158:domestic buildings
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1045:Lakonikai Spoudai
1030:Lakonikai Spoudai
869:978-0-252-02929-5
831:Encomium of Helen
704:10.63; Polybius,
681:Ancient Menelaion
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106:22°27′10.8″E
950:(16): 4–11.
726:(16): 4–11.
700:Isokrates,
671:The third,
545:prehistoric
512:heroic cult
464:Ludwig Ross
430:Ludwig Ross
425:Excavations
317:epic poetry
195:(translit.
118: /
94:Coordinates
1115:Categories
822:Oration 10
813:Lysistrata
756:Theocritus
688:References
656:monumental
609:and early
548:settlement
541:Bronze Age
488:excavation
337:rhetorical
335:, even in
205:Μενελάειον
197:Menelaeion
168:Management
163:Site notes
1077:(79): 30.
818:Isokrates
780:Euripides
770:Aeschylus
766:Herodotus
706:Histories
677:sanctuary
673:classical
615:structure
607:geometric
571:aryballos
484:Alan Wace
456:limestone
452:enclosure
388:Agamemnon
349:philology
193:Menelaion
152:Classical
134:Sanctuary
103:37°3′54″N
20:Menelaion
1099:21 March
1013:21 March
775:Oresteia
754:, 243B;
751:Phaedrus
641:phases:
440:Menelaus
411:Opheltes
395:warriors
380:Odysseus
353:ideology
341:Menelaus
286:May 2020
246:Ideology
70:Location
33:Taygetos
826:Gorgias
816:. Also
791:Orestes
702:Oration
623:heroine
611:archaic
603:terrace
587:cistern
560:Mycenae
552:stratum
523:megaron
519:Mansion
492:plaster
329:history
314:Homeric
272:Please
232:Eurotas
228:Fluvial
217:Θεράπνη
176:Website
148:Archaic
144:Founded
139:History
88:Lakonia
978:Kadmos
914:
866:
803:Hecuba
738:Sappho
712:, 3.9.
583:harpax
564:Tiryns
460:heroon
436:heroes
403:family
384:Ithaca
209:Sparta
84:Region
78:Greece
74:Sparti
785:Helen
761:Idyll
746:Plato
664:ruins
591:stele
556:Pylos
448:altar
419:Nemea
415:snake
399:kings
331:, in
327:, in
1101:2016
1015:2016
992:link
912:ISBN
864:ISBN
764:18.
736:See
637:and
562:and
450:and
442:and
407:city
386:and
368:hero
347:and
321:epos
187:The
150:and
131:Type
893:106
724:BSA
397:or
219:).
199:) (
191:of
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