Customer Reviews

Cults, Territory, and the Origins of the Greek City-State

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This is an incredibly important book for scholars interested in the formation of the polis. Not everyone will agree with all of de Polignac's conclusions, but his theories on the role of sanctuaries in the development of Greek poleis and the mediation of liminal space are thought-provoking and profound. And contrary to the previous reviewer, "archaeological fact" is often a misnomer; the same archaeological evidence can often be interpreted several different ways by different scholars (as the reviewer's own summation of de Polignac's use of archaeological evidence should demonstrate). De Polignac's ideas are proving to be influential in the world of Classical scholarship, so this book is a must-read.

Examples, examples, examples. Is there anything else that de Polignac can give us... archaeological fact maybe? The author uses archaeological evidence only to refute other scholars theories on the formation of the poleis and their interrelationship with cults in the homeland and at colonies. And what does he do to justify his claims on his own hypotheses? Myths and non-contextualized writings of ancient authors. Alongside these are nothing but his own interpretations of them. For these atrocities, this book should be rated at one star. However, de Polignac's insights on both cult mediation between colonial and indigenous groups and the representation of the hero worship in light of the forming poleis are quite profound. If the purpose of the author was to shed new light upon the formation of the ancient world that is usually blocked away by the umbrella of stubborn scholars then de Polignac has excelled in the highest. It is my opinion that the later is the case and that although little archaeological evidence is presented to congeal his claims into a reputable theory we must give him credit where it is deserved.