Greek Sanctuaries and Temple Architecture

Assuming no prior knowledge, this book introduces the reader to a selection of sites and temples, exploring them in detail and explaining all technical terms along the way. Intended for college-level students and the interested general reader, this book aims to equip the student of Greek architecture for further study, and can also serve as a handbook for visitors to the sanctuaries. The book covers many of the most popular sites, including Delphi, Olympia and the Athenian Acropolis. In this second edition there are new chapters on Western Greece, covering the site of Paestum in Magna Graecia (South Italy), and the unique temple of Olympian Zeus in Acragas, Sicily. The book also offers a concise account of the evolution of Greek architecture, explores aesthetic ideas underlying Greek architectural design, and gives consideration to specific buildings in their social and religious context. This second edition has expanded the discussion of the most important temples and lays emphasis on architectural sculpture as part of the meaning of the whole building. Along with an updated bibliography and a glossary, an abundance of plans, photos and drawings helps clarify the text.

Review: Written for students new to the subject, the book offers an overview of temple architecture and function in Greece and its western colonies. The book retains the appeal of the first edition: the prose is crisp, the chapters are brief, and there is a glossary of technical terms. Summing Up: Recommended. * CHOICE *

This slim and affordable volume [is] ... an attractive volume to assign for an introductory class. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

[A] sound and helpful guide to the basics of Greek architecture in the major sanctuaries. * Classics for All *

This book is much more than a work of armchair scholarship (although that aspect is well done): it bears the imprint of fresh insights and observations which are the author's own, based, it seems, on extensive autopsy. * Journal of Greek Archaeology *

If you seek one comprehensive volume about major Greek temples, in both Greece and Italy, you could do no better than to pick up Emerson's readable, stimulating and newly revised book. * Jenifer Neils, Director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece *

In this meticulously researched - yet entirely accessible - introduction to ancient Greek sanctuaries and their temples, Mary Emerson brings together the most recent scholarship with her own careful observations to paint a picture of Greek religious life that is vivid, embodied, and real. Designed for generalists and undergraduates alike, it deserves inclusion in the libraries of all students of antiquity. * Peter Schultz, Scholar in Residence, North Dakota State University, USA *

Succinct yet thorough, this lively introduction is highly readable, always interesting, and nicely illustrated. I especially appreciate Emerson's discussion of Greek temples in Sicily and southern Italy, as she includes their historical context and what makes them distinctive. Excellent for students of archaeology, architecture and ancient religion, and for travelers! * Margaret M. Miles, Professor of Art History, University of California, Irvine, USA *